Media Europe

The spoken word is valid

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for joining us this afternoon.

It has been a long day for you and we appreciate you coming here to find out more about Opel and Vauxhall's ongoing product initiative.

Opel/Vauxhall is a founding member of the global automotive industry and has always been in the vanguard of innovation and technologies.

Throughout its history, Opel has been a pioneer, setting standards for an entire industry and developing segment-defining products.

In my first 100 days as CEO of Opel/Vauxhall, I've experienced the passion and dedication of our employees and dealer network to take all the necessary steps to move Opel and Vauxhall into a successful future.

That is why I am proud to say Opel/Vauxhall matters today and will matter moving forward.

Here in Geneva we will deliver proof to you on how we want to achieve that.

Before I go into our product strategy, let me briefly cover another proof point.

This morning, we announced that in a vote of confidence in Opel/Vauxhall’s long-term business strength, GM has decided to contribute a total of 1.9 billion euros in funding for the Opel/Vauxhall viability plan.

GM will more than triple its previous investment pledge of 600 million euro and provide more than fifty percent of the overall Opel/Vauxhall funding requirements.

We hope that this strong commitment will be well received as a major milestone in our ongoing discussions about government guarantees to cover the remaining funding gap.

Bottom line, we are making good progress with our restructuring plan and we are making great progress with our growth plan as well.

I arrived in Geneva yesterday in this prototype of the production Ampera, driving the last stage of our first long-distance road test of this extended-range electric vehicle.

As a team, we've completed more than 550 km between Rüsselsheim and Geneva without any problems.

This demonstrates that the Ampera can be the primary vehicle in the household, capable of driving anywhere, any time.

I am excited about the level of sophistication that we have achieved with this propulsion technology.

The combination of nearly silent, emission-free electric driving...

...and the acceleration of a sports car or the seamless transition from pure electric to range-extended mode...,

...make driving the Ampera a truly unique experience.

Just a year ago at this very spot, we presented to you the production design of the Ampera...

... and today with the completion of the first European long-haul test we have taken an important next step.

We are on track with our launch plans and I am confident that the introduction of the Ampera in late 2011 will clearly demonstrate our leadership in developing the propulsion technologies of the future.

Looking at our brands today,

Opel and Vauxhall are among the major players in the European product arena.

We are well positioned in our core segments.

Insignia and Meriva each lead their class;

Astra and Corsa are number 3,

the Zafira number 4 in their respective segments - and there are 25 and more competitors in some of these segments.

Our latest models, the Insignia and Astra, have won more than 50 awards for their exciting design and engineering excellence, including the prestigious Car of the Year and Golden Steering Wheel.

The dedication and passion that went into these products are the driving force behind Opel/Vauxhall's biggest investment initiative in recent history.

Eleven billion euros have been earmarked to develop and refine our advanced vehicle technology and offer a fresh and exciting product portfolio.

Our product initiative will focus on three areas:

 • High-quality, desirable cars in our core segments

 • Alternative propulsion

 • Extending our line-up

By 2014, eighty percent of Opel/Vauxhall's model line-up will be less than three years old.

This includes 12 major introductions in the next two years alone, including the recently launched Corsa, the new Movano and later this year the Astra Sports Tourer.

Our commitment is clear:

Opel remains a major player in Europe, poised to grow further!

The foundation for this growth is expressed in our brand values: German engineering,

passion for innovation, outstanding design, reliability and environmental responsibility.

These pillars are clearly represented in all of our premieres that we show here in Geneva.

First off is a car that stands for passion, for innovation and the German design and engineering skills of our team: the second-generation Meriva.

The key question for our team was:

How can we make a segment-leading car even better?

And looking at the first feedback we've received, I think we can be proud of what the team has achieved.

Ladies and Gentlemen, here it is: The all-new Meriva…

The Meriva is a true flexibility champion. And I’d like to ask Alain Visser up on stage to tell you a bit more… Alain…

Alain Visser

The new Meriva offers all the benefits of its predecessor that our customers like.

 • Good command of the road

 • High seating position

 • Feeling of space in a compact form.

 • Reliability and low cost of ownership

It offers clever, affordable, flexibility - in a contemporary design.

We've raised the bar when it comes to storage.

Some great examples are

• The FlexRail, center console storage unit for the interior

• The easy-to-use FlexSpace seating system that we have developed further.

• And we will offer our unique FlexFix integrated rear bicycle carrier.

Another key feature is Meriva's revolutionary door system that we call "FlexDoors".

By placing the rear door hinges on the C-pillar, entry and exit space is larger.

As a result, getting in and out is much easier.

This fact is especially popular among young families.

This is what we call real-life engineering, a car that makes all of the everyday things easier for our customers.

As of today, the new Opel Meriva can be ordered in several European markets at prices starting from 15.900 Euros.

Nick….

Nick Reilly

 

Thank you Alain,

I encourage you to have a closer look at the Meriva after this press conference if you haven't had the chance to do so yet.

Our second major focus is leadership in alternative propulsion.

With our ecoFlex models we already have a wide range of cars that not only emit low levels of CO2, but are also fun-to-drive:

such as the Corsa (98 g), the Astra (109 g) and the Insignia (136 g).

We are also successfully positioned in the market with our LPG and CNG offer.

We truly feel that with ecoFLEX we have a good offer of eco-friendly cars for different types of customers and market requirements.

Already today in a number of markets, up to forty percent of new car customers choose an ecoFLEX car.

Now we want to motivate consumers across Europe to experience the real benefits of our ecoFLEX range.

So I am happy to announce that today we kick off a pan-European consumer promotion....

...that we call:

"The Opel/Vauxhall ecoFLEX Experience"

This will feature a range of hands-on activities and consumers will get the chance to learn more about efficient driving, test our ecoFLEX range and even participate in a challenge to prove their "efficient driving skills".

Consumers from all over Europe interested in the experience will be able to register online on the website up on the screen behind me as of today.

To tell you a more about our plans on alternative propulsion and electrification I’d like to ask Rita Forst to join me on stage.

Rita Forst

Opel/Vauxhall's leadership in alternative propulsion systems will get another boost with the launch of the Ampera, the first extended-range electric vehicle from a European manufacturer.

We have aggressive plans to expand in this area and have allocated investments of 1 billion euros specifically for alternative propulsion technologies.

Electricity plays a key role in Opel/Vauxhall's strategy for achieving independence from fossil fuels.

Electrically-driven vehicles are one of the best long-term solutions to address society's energy and environmental concerns.

And it is a great asset that we can rely on the resources of the global engineering network of our partners at General Motors - particularly in this field.

Therefore, we are working on the full spectrum of electric vehicles.

A strategy we call "e-mobility unlimited":

• small battery electric vehicles for people who drive short distances and for cities around the world where such cars are strongly incentivized

• extended-range electric vehicles for people who want one car for long as well as short distances

• and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles for driving long distances with zero emissions and no limitation on vehicle size or function

The Ampera is always driven electrically and uses the electricity stored in its lithium ion battery as the primary source of energy.

When the battery's charge is low after around 60 km, the Ampera's on-board internal combustion engine will start to generate electricity to drive the wheels for the remainder of the journey.

The Ampera is thus the first electrically driven vehicle capable of covering more than 500 kilometers of extended-range.

With that it is the first electric car to provide zero range anxiety.

The Ampera could substantially reduce the need to refuel at petrol stations for the majority of drivers, as the all-electric range is greater than the average daily commute.

 

Nick…

 

Nick Reilly

 

But we don't stop here.

With preparations for the launch of the Ampera in Europe up and running we are already looking ahead at how our electrification strategy could develop in the future…

Our next highlight, the Flextreme GT/E concept illustrates that.

It is our vision of engineering and design excellence and gives you a glimpse of the shape of things to come from Opel/Vauxhall. And Mark Adams will give you some more insights.

Mark Adams

Thank you Nick:

With this concept we demonstrate how we can apply CO2-cutting E-REV propulsion technology across the range, to executive-class vehicles, as well as to smaller family-sized automobiles.

Its purposeful design enables the Flextreme GT/E to achieve a projected drag co-efficient of just zero point two, which helps it reach a top speed of more than 200 km/h as well as conserve energy and extend the driving range.

The Flextreme GT/E concept is a physical expression of our brand DNA, offering expressive design with efficient environmental performance and engineered with German precision.

And I can promise that you'll see many of the design cues of the Flextreme GT/E on future Opel/Vauxhall vehicles.

Nick Reilly

The launch of the Meriva and automotive innovations such as the Ampera and Flextreme GT/E are an integral part of our plan for the future of Opel and Vauxhall.

I am convinced we have a Plan for the Future that will work and deliver results:

• It will put Opel and Vauxhall back on solid footing with sound manufacturing operations;

• It will secure employment for our workforce;

And

• It will generate highly desirable vehicles for consumers in all of our diverse markets.

This strategy will help us fulfill our mission to be a leading European manufacturer of high-quality, desirable automotive products, based on German engineering, state-of-the-art technology and driven by a united team of professionals.

…and all of that put together is proof that Opel/Vauxhall matters today and will matter in the future…

Thank you again for joining us this afternoon.

Now I would like to invite you to join me here on the stage to have a closer look at our highlights.

 

My leadership team and I are happy to answer your questions.