Opel has revealed what the future holds for the Grandland, the SUV in the C segment of this Stellantis brand. In the next generation, which will appear in 2024, the model will appear in a 100% electric version, but for the first time an Opel will be designed on a specific platform for electric vehicles, thus maximizing the potential of this solution in terms of weight, efficiency and costs.
One of the great commitments of the German brand Stellantis is the renewal of its factory in Eisenach, until now exclusive to traditional models with thermal engines, such as the current Grandland combustion engine and PHEV. As a result of an investment of 130 million euros, the factory located in the former East Germany will soon be able to produce electric vehicles, with dedicated platforms.
Once modified, Eisenach will allow models to be manufactured on one of Stellantis’ new specific platforms for electric vehicles, that is, the STLA Medium, designed to serve as the basis for all types of models (SUVs, sedans, coupes or crossovers) of the C and D segments. This is where the Grandland comes into play, whose successor to the current generation will be exclusively electric, scheduled for next year.
For the person in charge of the Stellantis production lines, Arnaud Deboeuf, the Eisenach factory “has always proven to be very efficient in terms of quality improvements”, guaranteeing that “the German production line and its very dedicated workers will allow us to continue reducing costs and increase the rigor in the construction of the manufactured models”.
The battery-electric Opel Grandland will share the STLA Medium platform, as well as engines and batteries with the Peugeot e-3008, so It should propose versions with drive to one or two axles (4×4), in a total of three different types of motorizations, as previously announced for the SUV of the French brand. To this end, the two battery SUVs will combine batteries of more than one capacity, which in the most generous version will ensure a maximum range of 700 km in WLTP.
Opel already offers the Corsa-e and the Mokka Electric as battery-powered models, but neither is built on specific platforms for this technology, with disadvantages in terms of efficiency, weight and cost. With the entry of STLA platforms, of which Medium is only the first, Opel will be in a better position to deliver on its promise, which includes selling electric vehicles exclusively in Europe from 2028.thus assuming itself as one of the first of the 14 Stellantis brands to put an end to the production of vehicles with a combustion engine, among those destined for the markets of the Old Continent.
In addition to the 130 million euros invested by Opel in the Eisenach plant, the Stellantis group plans to invest a total of 32,000 million euros. This amount includes, in part, investments aimed at moving to the next stage in terms of the production of electric vehicles, which means adapt all factories to build on dedicated platforms, namely STLA Small, Medium, Large and Frame, the latter intended for pick-ups and commercial vans. But the amount that this, the 2nd group in Europe and the 4th in the world, will invest also foresees a significant economic effort in software, to adapt the vehicles to the growing needs of users.
Source: Observadora
