On September 27, Groupe PSA and Punch Powertrain announce
their intention to sign a joint venture agreement, named “Punch
Powertrain PSA e-transmissions”, to produce the future generation of the
electrified transmission (e-DCT), starting in 2022.
The Metz plant will have an annual production capacity of
600,000 e-DCTs. In preparation for production, Punch Powertrain will
carry out industrialization and design of the state-of-the-art
production line.
electrified Dual-Clutch Transmission (e-DCT)
Informations on the future Joint Venture « Punch Powertrain PSA e-transmissions »:
Headquarters: Metz (Greater East Region) France
R&D facilities: Punch Powertrain in Belgium and Netherlands
Production facilites : Groupe PSA – Metz (Moselle) France
Closing of such transaction remains subject to antitrust clearance and employee representative consultation.
This electrified Dual Clutch Transmission (e-DCT) will be:
Designed and developed in Punch Powertrain research centers in Belgium and the Netherlands
Manufactured at Groupe PSA’s plant in Metz (Greater
East Region), chosen for its cost-efficiency and recognized for its
expertise in gearbox production.
With an excellent level of performance, this gearbox
will save up to 15% fuel consumption and reduce emissions in the city
thanks to the use of ZEV mode in heavy traffic conditions. This
e-DCT technology will set the benchmark for dual-clutch transmissions
in the passenger car and Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segments.
With its revolutionary design, the e-DCT gearbox with
a 48V configuration, will equip Groupe PSA’s future Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicles (MHEV).
Opel Test Center hosts final presentation of German research project Ko-HAF
Opel Insignia prototype at the Opel Test Center
Rodgau-Dudenhofen.
Opel has successfully demonstrated a future that
promises fewer traffic accidents and freedom for the driver to read,
write or relax instead of continuously monitoring the car. The automaker
is part of Ko-HAF – “Kooperatives hochautomatisiertes Fahren”
– a German project researching cooperative highly automated driving,
which began in June 2015. The Opel Insignia prototype displayed the
functions of cooperative highly automated driving during the
presentation of Ko-HAF’s final results at the Opel Test Center
Rodgau-Dudenhofen.
What is highly automated driving ? Driver does not have to monitor
the journey constantly, but must be able to take the wheel with time to
spare if required.
Cooperative highly automated driving systems do not need to be
supervised by the driver all the time. Drivers can perform other tasks,
but when prompted by the system they must be able to take control of the
vehicle within a certain time period. The vehicle must therefore be
able to “see” further ahead than possible with its own sensors. In
Ko-HAF, vehicles send information about their current road environment,
such as construction sites, traffic jams and accidents, to a Safety
Server. The information is collected and processed by the Safety Server,
so that a precise map is available to vehicles when they request it –
like an artificial horizon that delivers a highly detailed preview of
the road ahead.
Test vehicle, an Insignia Sports Tourer, is armed with an array of
cameras and sensors. In the trunk a battery of computers handles
communications, records the vehicle’s location, and calculates driving
maneuvers in real time.
Opel’s role in Ko-HAF focused on the computerized maps and the
process of disengaging the car from the automated driving condition,
thus returning control to the driver. The engineers from Rüsselsheim
designed the architecture, interfaces and protocols of the Safety
Server, which were evaluated in the project.
An additional core-task was the development of a self-localization
method for the vehicle. Opel designed algorithms for visual mapping and
localization which are merged with information from back-end and onboard
maps, onboard sensors and the Global Navigation Satellite System
(GNSS). The localization method was validated on the Opel Insignia test
car at the Opel Test Center and on the Ko-HAF test route on the
motorways around Frankfurt am Main.
Opel’s second area of focus concerned the driver’s actions, so-called
non-driving tasks. The company’s engineers developed software and a
system of sensors to detect and classify the driver’s actions while the
car is driving automatically.
Home: Eisenach plant will produce Opel Grandland X as of 2019
Handsome: Grandland X heads Crossland X and Mokka X in Opel SUV family
Happy owner: Antje Fink from Eisenach collected her
new SUV from local dealer Autohaus Schorr. Orders fort he Grandland X
from across Europe have reached the 100,000 mark one year after ist
launch.
Opel Grandland X celebrated its world premiere
exactly one year ago at the IAA Frankfurt international motor show. In
the meantime Opel’s newest Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) has established
itself very successfully in the market segment. Since sales began in
summer 2017 customers have placed more than 100,000 orders for the
dynamic SUV, with about 25 percent of them coming from Germany. Demand
is especially high for the Opel Grandland X with technology and comfort
features such as AFL Full LED Adaptive Forward Lighting and the Navi 5.0
IntelliLink infotainment system.
“The Opel Grandland X is stylish, technologically advanced and
powered by Euro 6d-TEMP compliant engines”, says Opel Managing Director
Sales, Aftersales and Marketing, Xavier Duchemin. “Our customers
appreciate the combination of comfort, sportiness and practicability. Opel Grandland X tops our SUV range and is the perfect complement to the
Opel Crossland X and the Opel Mokka X.”
In the most recent production allocations, Groupe PSA decided that
the Grandland X will be made at the Eisenach plant from 2019 onward. A
Grandland X representing the 100,000 customers was therefore delivered
by Autohaus Schorr in Eisenach. Happy owner, Antje Fink said: “I
ordered the Opel Grandland X because it is not only sporty but also
comfortable. Full LED headlamps and the excellent AGR seats are simply
‘must-haves’. And the Opel Grandland X will also be built here, which makes
it a real Thuringian.”
Happy motoring: Sascha Schorr, managing director of
Autohaus Schorr GmbH in Eisenach, gives Antje Fink her new Opel
Grandland X.
The majority of Opel Grandland X customers order top-of-the-line equipment levels. The INNOVATION and Ultimate
trims together account for about 70 percent of all orders. INNOVATION
includes advanced assistance systems such as Forward Collision Warning
with Pedestrian Detection and Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Keep
Assist, Driver Drowsiness Alert as well as Park Pilot front and rear.
Comfort is further increased by standard equipment such as the remote
controlled tailgate, Keyless Open and Start, dual zone climate control
and the heated steering wheel. The standard equipment of the
range-topping Opel Grandland X Ultimate additionally includes ergonomic AGR
leather seats certified by “Aktion Gesunder Rücken e.V.” and a premium
sound system from Denon. The black roof, black mirrors and two-tone
19-inch “BiColor” light-alloy wheels add stylish details.
Individual options that further increase comfort are also in very high demand, especially the Navi 5.0 IntelliLink in-car
entertainment. The infotainment system, which is compatible with Apple
CarPlay and Android Auto, is installed in 70 percent of cars ordered.
The integrated navigation with European roadmaps and 3D-view is operated
via the eight-inch colour touchscreen or voice control. Compatible
smartphones are charged inductively via wireless charging, an option chosen by around 25 percent of Grandland X customers.
Additional safety in the Opel Grandland X is provided by the Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) with Full LED headlamps,
which is ordered in 40 percent of cars delivered. The headlamps adapt
the lighting distribution to the prevailing driving conditions via seven
modes, without causing glare for oncoming traffic or vehicles ahead in
the same lane. Equally popular with customers is the heated ThermaTec windscreen, which ensures good visibility for Grandland X drivers during cold weather.
Prices for the Opel Grandland X in Germany start at €24,000 including VAT.
Commercial vehicle IAA: Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller accepts coveted award
IVOTY jury: 25 international journalists from 25 European countries
Previous Opel winners: Opel Astra Van in 1999 and Vivaro in 2002
New Opel Combo Cargo is International Van of the Year 2019
The new Opel Combo Cargo is International Van of the Year
2019 (IVOTY), the most coveted title in the Light Commercial Vehicle
(LCV) business. Awarding the Combo 127 points, the jury of 25 specialist
journalists from 25 European countries put the new Opel well ahead of
the second-placed Mercedes Sprinter (92 points). The high driving
pleasure, the innovative assistance systems and the economy of the Opel
van played a decisive role in the new Combo bringing this prestigious
award to Rüsselsheim for the third time since its introduction in 1992.
Opel previously won the International Van of the Year award with the
Astra Van in 1999 and with the Vivaro in 2002. The new Opel Combo has
been developed by Groupe PSA and optimised to meet the needs of the
brand. The prize-giving took place at the IAA commercial vehicle show in
Hannover. Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller accepted the award for the Combo
from IVOTY President, Jarlath Sweeney.
New Opel Combo Cargo at the IAA commercial vehicle show in
Hannover.
“We are very proud of this award,” said Michael Lohscheller. “The
victory also shows the possibilities for Opel within Groupe PSA. With
the Combo we are now attacking the C-van segment – until now we have not
played a prominent role here. There is great growth potential for Opel
in the LCV business. It is therefore appropriate that we have received
the responsibility for developing a new LCV platform for the whole
Groupe PSA in Rüsselsheim.”
The IVOTY jury was highly impressed by the talents of the Opel Combo:
“The engineers and designers succeeded for the first time in the
history of LCVs to create a multi-brand cooperation van, where all
brands maintain their core values and brand personality without almost
any compromise. The PSA models are redefining the entire segment of
modern compact vans, with a fresh approach in design, fit and finish on
par with compact cars and a unique feeling of comfort.”
Groupe PSA LCVs
The jury also praised the numerous assistance systems of the Opel
Combo, such as the sensor-based overload indicator and the excellent
all-around visibility – the second camera in the passenger-side mirror,
for example, reduces the blind-spot on this side of the vehicle. The
Combo Cargo additionally scores with the equally new sensor-based Flank
Guard.
The jury of journalists thus concluded: “The Groupe PSA small
vans are convincing in more ways than one. They feature real novelties
that are modern, comfortable and full of today's safety technologies. In
use, they display a driving pleasure and generally very good levels of
behaviour, without yielding anything to their utilitarian vocation. They
offer professionals a wide choice of bodies and engines. Clearly a new
reference in the world of vans.”
Highly efficient in every way
The new Opel Combo celebrates its world premiere at the IAA for
commercial vehicles in Hannover (booth C 64, hall 13). The new Combo has
been developed with the ambition of offering top efficiency to
professionals and the lowest cost of ownership in the segment, thanks to
an all-new architecture, ingenious packaging and a unique range of
assistance systems resulting in an extremely efficient transporter.
New Opel Combo Cargo XL
From the start, the Opel Combo is available in numerous variants
including the 4.40-metre standard version, the 4.75-metre XL type and a
spacious five seater crew cab with two sliding doors as standard. Opel’s
new compact transporter also outshines most of its main competitors
with a load volume of up to 4.4m3, a payload of up to 1,000
kg and a loading length of up to 3,440 mm for objects and work material.
The cleverly designed loading area is wide enough between the wheel
arches to enable the loading of up to two Euro pallets – even in the
Combo with short wheelbase. And extremely long utensils such as wooden
planks can be stowed at an angle thanks to the optional roof hatch.
180 hp Direct Injection Turbo with eight-speed automatic for Opel’s compact SUV
Opel Grandland X 1.6 Direct Injection Turbo
Opel is offering a new top-of-the-line powertrain in
the stylish Grandland X. The cool-looking sports utility vehicle (SUV)
will receive a new turbocharged direct injection petrol engine, which is
available with a seamless-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission.
The all-aluminium, PureTech power unit not only delivers strong
performance, it also produces low emissions, thanks to a
state-of-the-art exhaust after-treatment system that includes a Gasoline
Particulate Filter (GPF). Opel Grandland X 1.6 Direct Injection Turbo
with start/stop (fuel consumption1,2: 7.2-7.1 l/100 km urban, 5.0-4.9 l/100 km extra-urban, 5.8-5.7 l/100 km and 132-130 g/km CO2 combined) already meets the future Euro 6d-TEMP emissions standard.
The four-cylinder engine with dual overhead camshafts and four valves
per cylinder develops peak power of 133 kW/180 hp at 5,500 rpm and
maximum torque of 250 Nm at only 1,750 rpm. The lively power unit, which
is also notable for its direct throttle response, accelerates the
Opel Grandland X from zero to 100 km/h in only 8.0 seconds and up to a
maximum speed of 222 km/h. In combination with variable valve lift, the
variable valve timing system enables infinite adjustment of valve timing
and duration, for further improved fuel economy and emissions.
Of course, the new top-of-the-line engine will also be available on
the Opel Grandland X with the premium “Ultimate” trim, which includes a
string of luxurious features as standard. The sporty yet elegant SUV
thus becomes even more of an eye-catcher with 19-inch “BiColor” alloy
wheels and silver coloured roof rails. Furthermore, premium ergonomic
seats, leather trim, the Denon premium sound system and numerous
ultra-modern assistance and infotainment systems promise a feel-good
factor.
[1] Values measured according to WLTP and converted to NEDC for comparison.
[2] WLTP combined figures (for information only, not to be confused with official NEDC values):
8.0-7.1 l/100 km fuel consumption; 181-161 g/km CO2 emissions.
Groupe PSA has signed a strategic partnership agreement with
Silicon Valley start-up SoundHound Inc., the leader in artificial
intelligence (AI) and natural language voice recognition technology, to
benefit the next generation of Groupe PSA vehicles
The unique Deep Meaning Understanding technology developed
by SoundHound Inc. is the only solution that, like a human being, can
instantly answer multiple questions asked in a single sentence
SoundHound is developing voice and AI integration
algorithms to tailor the world's fastest speech recognition technology
and seamless natural language understanding capability to Groupe PSA’s
vehicles
The new generation voice assistant will enable Peugeot, Citroën, DS,
Opel and Vauxhall customers to converse naturally with their vehicle.
The digital personal assistant will be able to act on its own to
perform a variety of tasks, such as finding a restaurant that meets
several criteria (e.g. open on Sunday evening), activating vehicle
functions and launching connected services. With a single voice command,
drivers will be able to simultaneously regulate temperature,
ventilation and the direction of air conditioning.
Within two years, Groupe PSA will
be rolling out the best conversational experience on the market, to
provide users with a progressively more seamless, efficient interface.
The easy‑to‑use voice assistant will simplify life on board for vehicle
users and contribute to greater safety.
Groupe PSA and Opel have informed the general works
council of Opel Automobile GmbH of the intention to discuss a potential
strategic partnership with engineering service provider Segula
Technologies to protect engineering jobs in Rüsselsheim and to overcome
the workload decrease from third parties. The Segula Technologies
proposal aims at creating a European engineering campus and Center of
Excellence in Rüsselsheim enlarging the scope beyond the automotive
industry and including fields such as rail and energy as reflected by
their customer portfolio. An agreement on such a strategic partnership
would include the takeover of vehicle and propulsion engineering
facilities together with up to 2,000 employees of the Rüsselsheim
R&D Center by Segula Technologies. Segula Technologies is willing to
continue the protection against dismissal agreed until July 2023. The
implementation of the potential strategic partnership is subject to
successful further negotiations with Segula Technologies and the social
partners as well as the approvals of various bodies including the
supervisory board of Opel Automobile GmbH.
Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller said: “We have evaluated a solution in
the context of a heavily decreasing workload from external parties in
our R&D Center. Our duty and priority as a responsible management
team has been to work hard on a project to safeguard highly qualified
engineering jobs here in Rüsselsheim, while continuing to proudly
develop our Opel future models and perform the tasks of the 15 Centers
of Competence for the entire Groupe PSA. We will discuss this proposal
of a strategic partnership with our social partners in detail.”
Laurent Germain, Group Managing Director of Segula Technologies
added: “The potential strategic partnership is key to achieving our aim
of becoming the world’s leading automotive solutions provider by 2023
with the creation of a core engineering center in Rüsselsheim, which’s
scope would also cover new areas beyond the automotive industry to serve
our customers worldwide. The recognised skills of the Opel engineers
combined with Segula Technologies’ know-how, would allow us to set the
standard and contribute to the development of the local economy in the
long run, to meet our customer expectations in all our fields of
activity.”
Christian Müller, Managing Director Engineering of Opel said: “Our
R&D center in Rüsselsheim remains the heart of the Opel brand. Our
engineers are committed to designing and developing future Opel models
here, in addition to the takeover of global tasks for the entire Groupe
PSA, e.g. through 15 Centers of Competence. Thus German engineering
skills will benefit the entire company. At the same time, a strategic
partnership would enable us to fully utilise our state-of-the-art
engineering facilities and to overcome the overcapacity challenges
ahead. We would give a solid future outlook to the engineering team of
today.”
