MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. Opel is ready to include electric cars in the model range in Russia if there is adequate government support for the development of this type of transport, Vice President PSA, Managing Director of Peugeot, Citroen and Opel in Russia, Alexei Volodin said in an interview with TASS.
"In a number of European countries, popularization of electric vehicles is actively promoted by the state: owners of electric cars are provided with subsidies, benefits and preferences, the ecosystem is actively developing. In Russia, we do yet not see such an active position of the state in the direction of electric vehicles," he said. "But if the state clearly says that electric transport is our future, let's focus on it, we are technologically ready," Volodin added.
According to Volodin, the Groupe PSA already has electric cars – in particular, under the Opel (Corsa) brand. "The question is in the feasibility of bringing these cars to the Russian market," he explained.
Opel carmaker, which left the Russian market in 2015, has resumed sales of its cars in Russia in December 2019. "The first models of the Russelsheim-based German carmaker have arrived in the showrooms of selected dealers in major Russian cities. As of today, customers in Russia can order the successful Opel Grandland X SUV from Eisenach and the Zafira Life," the company said.
Initially, 11 dealers in major Russian cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Stavropol, Rostov, Ryazan, Tyumen or Nizhny Novgorod will be Opel partners.
"We will gradually increase our commitment in the country in the coming years. This includes offering a wider range of products. In the coming years, there will be at least one major Opel launch every year. Like in every market, our top priority is to grow profitably with a high level of customer satisfaction," said Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller.
An official with the company added that in the first half of 2020, Opel Vivaro freight vans will go on sale. Production of vans will start in the near future.
In 2015, General Motors (Opel previously belonged to) announced a significant revision of plans on the Russian market. The car making giant abandoned almost all of its production sites in Russia – closed a plant in St. Petersburg, stopped contract assembly at the facilities of the Kaliningrad-based Avtotor and Nizhny Novgorod GAZ. GM only kept GM-Avtovaz, which is its joint venture with Avtovaz. The company also announced the removal of the Opel brand and all mass models of the Chevrolet brand from the Russian market, retaining only the latest premium models on the market, as well as the Cadillac brand.
In 2017, PSA Peugeot-Citroen bought the Opel brand from General Motors. This spring, Opel announced plans to return to the Russian market in the fourth quarter of this year. The Group said this was part of its strategy of increasing presence in the Eurasian region. The group's goal is to increase sales outside Europe by 50% by 2021.