Unveiled: All-New Opel Grandland Celebrates World Premiere in Eisenach

• Electric SUV: Top-of-range model first Opel on STLA Medium Platform with locally emissions-free range of up to around 700 kilometres (WLTP 1)
• With new battery shop: Eisenach plant transformed into ultra-modern “electric plant” for Opel Grandland production
• Green electricity: New 14-hectare solar farm will power plant

Yesterday, Opel lifted the lid on its latest newcomer and showed the first pictures of the new Grandland. At the same time, the next generation of Opel's top-of-line SUV is celebrating its world premiere – at the Eisenach plant in Thuringia where Opel CEO Florian Huettl, together with Jörg Escher, Managing Director of the Eisenach plant, and chief engineer Dirk Kaminski, presented the new Opel Grandland to the workforce and media representatives. Afterwards, the guests and journalists were able to see the state-of-art Opel Grandland production for themselves during a tour of the plant.

“All-new Opel Grandland is ‘made in Germany’ through and through. It will exclusively drive off the production line in Eisenach. To this end, over the past few months we have developed the location into a real 'electric plant' – with a battery shop and a production facility in which our top SUV is fully flexible in all drive variants on a common line. All-new Opel Grandland will be fully electric for the first time and will further broaden our range of electric cars. We are giving the starting signal for this here and today,” said Opel CEO Florian Huettl to the journalists.

Eisenach plant managing director Jörg Escher added: “Eisenach team took on the great challenge of automotive transformation together and implemented it with outstanding commitment. I would like to thank all employees for their tireless dedication and great performance. And I am sure that all-new Opel Grandland will also come to customers in the well-known Eisenach top quality right from the start.”

Investments in Eisenach: €130 million for transformation to “electric plant”

In addition to hybrid drives, all-new Opel Grandland will also drive off the production line for the first time as a battery-electric, locally emissions-free Grandland Electric. The new SUV is the first Opel model to be based on the state-of-the-art STLA Medium platform, which was specifically designed for battery-electric models and is now being used in Eisenach. Thanks to the new architecture, particularly flat battery packaging with a new Opel Grandland Electric can travel up to around 700 kilometres locally emissions-free according to WLTP 1.

In order to make the Eisenach plant, which has been constantly developing since its inauguration in 1992, fit for future production of electrified models, the company has invested €130 million in the site. This has led to significant changes in production. For example, modifications were carried out in the body shop as well as in final assembly, which make it possible to produce vehicles based on both the multi-energy platform and the STLA Medium platform. In addition, the entire conveyor system was adapted and strengthened, the body shop was fully automated and many state-of-the-art camera systems were installed in the various areas for detailed inspection.

A brand-new battery shop has also been created, where the battery packs for the electric Grandland are assembled on site. Special high-voltage experts were trained for this task. Eisenach was able to draw on the experiences of its colleagues in Rüsselsheim. There is already such a battery shop at Opel's headquarters, which is part of the production of the Opel Astra Electric and the Opel Astra Sports Tourer Electric.

It fits perfectly with the electric Opel Grandland and its own battery assembly that Eisenach is planning to start building its own solar park to provide electricity this year. Green electricity will then be generated for the plant using photovoltaics on an area of around 14 hectares. In addition to the 20-megawatt photovoltaic park, a 1.5-megawatt heat pump will support the plant's heat supply in the future. The gradual conversion to renewable energies also helps ensure that the plant is well-positioned for the future.

And in accordance with the company's strategy to reduce CO2 emissions continuously and consistently in every area, the supply chain at the Thuringian location was also realigned. In the future, the new Opel Grandland will increasingly be transported to customers via the plant's railway sidings with Deutsche Bahn. Especially long-distance transports, such as those to Turkey and Great Britain, will be carried out by rail.

[1] Preliminary range values determined according to WLTP test procedure methodology (R (EC) No. 715/2007, R (EU) No. 2017/1151).Actual range can vary under everyday conditions and depends on various factors, in particular on personal driving style, route characteristics, outside temperature, use of heating and air conditioning and thermal preconditioning. Vehicle not available yet.

Opel CEO Florian Huettl Announces Milestones in 2024

• Opel to celebrate 125 years of automobile manufacturing next year
• Each carline to have at least one battery-electric variant by end of 2024
• Successors to Opel Crossland and Grandland available with battery-electric drive

Earlier today, Opel CEO Florian Huettl announced three important milestones for Rüsselsheim-based carmaker in 2024 at Automobilwoche Congress in Berlin. Next year, Opel will celebrate 125 years of automobile manufacturing and will offer at least one battery-electric model in every carline. In addition, Opel Crossland successor and all-new Opel Grandland will be available with battery-electric drive and thus close final gaps in German brand’s electric portfolio.

Opel is thus continuing to consistently drive change towards electromobility. All-New Opel Grandland will be built at Eisenach plant in Thuringia and will be based on innovative Group platform STLA Medium.

“2024 will not only mark an important company anniversary. We are also impressively showing how successfully Opel is mastering the transformation in automotive industry. We are completing our electrified range with purely electric successors to Opel Crossland and Grandland. Our goal is affordable, CO2-neutral mobility,” said Huettl in German capital.

30 Years Opel in Eisenach: Visitors Enjoy Open Day

• Opel cars produced in Thuringia since 1992
• Prime Minister Ramelow and Opel CEO Huettl celebrate with employees and visitors
• Eisenach stands for top-quality Opel bestsellers and modern production
• Opel Grandland plug-in hybrid is first electrified model at Eisenach plant

Opel models have been rolling off the production line in Eisenach for 30 years. Thirty years that have shaped the car manufacturer and the entire region. Opel is celebrating this anniversary today with a ceremony and an open day for all families and friends of the brand.

Thuringian Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow and Opel CEO Florian Huettl opened the festivities with the ceremony. Representing 30 years of Opel in Eisenach, they spoke to 30 employees and 30 other invited guests.

“Eisenach has always stood for living history and progressive development. This is shown by the Wartburg as a landmark as well as automobile production. After reunification, Opel was one of the first West German car manufacturers to become involved in the new federal states – with great success. Today, the plant can look back on 30 years and 3.7 million vehicles that have rolled off the production line here. The many companies from the automobile industry are an important economic factor and the plant in Eisenach especially embodies that in Thuringia future has tradition”, said Minister President Bodo Ramelow.

Opel CEO Florian Huettl said: “With the new plant in Eisenach, Opel strengthened the region at the time and revitalised one of the most traditional German automotive locations. Since then, bestsellers have been produced here in first-class, almost proverbial Eisenach quality.” At the same time, the plant is fit for the future; “With the Opel Grandland plug-in hybrid, an electrified model is rolling off the production line in Thuringia for the first time.”

In addition to top vehicle quality, a key to the success of the Eisenach plant is environmental management, which has been a priority at the site from the very beginning. A success story that goes into the next round with electrified vehicles. “And that is why we are celebrating 30 years of Eisenach today under the motto 'Family and Friends'” said Huettl.

Almost all models produced in Eisenach since 1992 were on display – from the former Opel Astra generation and the best-selling Corsa small car, to the stylish ADAM and the brand's current top SUV, the Opel Grandland. In addition, Opel Classic presented further highlights from the company's 160-year history. Visitors could also take a test drive. The “Eisenach” Grandland, the compact SUV Mokka-e and the new Opel Astra were ready and waiting. There was much more for young and old to discover. Driving a forklift truck required a lot of skill. Plant fire brigade presented its technical equipment and the unique red Rocks-e also paid a visit to the factory. 

In the paint shop, a car body was waiting to be painted in bright colours and patterns. In addition, a varied children's programme and numerous other entertainment options made the open day at the Eisenach plant an experience for the whole family.

Jubilee in Thuringian Plant: 30 Years of Opel in Eisenach

• After reunification: Opel one of the first carmakers in the new federal states
• “Opel counts on Eisenach”: Cars with Blitz leave plant in top quality since 1992
• Youngest “Eisenacher”: Opel Grandland SUV only produced in Eisenach
• Big jubilee: Celebration and open day on Saturday, September 17

Thirty years ago, Opel opened a plant in Eisenach that stands for the most modern production conditions and the highest quality. Since then, many Opel bestsellers from the Astra to the Corsa to the ADAM have left the Thuringian factory. Today, brand's top SUV model, Opel Grandland, rolls off the assembly line; electrified as a plug-in hybrid with highly efficient combustion engines. 30 years of Opel in Eisenach means 30 years of pioneering spirit and automobile production in one of the most modern plants in Europe. On Saturday, September 17, Opel is inviting all families and friends of the brand to an open day, and the official ceremony that takes place beforehand will be attended by the Thuringian Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow and Opel CEO Florian Huettl.

“Eisenach has stood for the finest quality for 30 years. At this traditional automobile production site, employees have manufactured numerous Opel bestsellers for delivery to customers. With the production of the Opel Grandland and the Grandland plug-in hybrid on an advanced Multi-Energy Platform, Eisenach is an important part of our electrification offensive,” says Opel CEO Florian Huettl.

“For more than 30 years, our team spirit has driven us to top performance time and time again,” explains Plant Manager Jörg Escher. “Since opening in 1992, the plant and the employees have repeatedly set standards with innovative spirit and drive, even in economically challenging times. This solidarity continues to distinguish us. For Opel and above all for our customers.”

Opel among the first West German carmakers in the new federal states

On September 23, 1992, with former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and the employees in attendance, the first ever Opel Astra “made in Eisenach” drove off the production line. The plant soon became one of the most modern in the world in terms of environmental sustainability, manufacturing technology and production systems. And it is also an integral part of the city and the region.

Only eight months after start of production of the Astra, the first Corsa drove off the production line in 1993. First Corsa “made in Eisenach” is also the first ever Corsa “made in Germany”. Previously, it had only been built in the Spanish plant in Zaragoza. 

In 2012, the small car welcomed a brother to its home – the stylish Opel ADAM, which was produced in Eisenach until May 2019. €190 million had been invested in the plant for its production.

After reunification, Opel is one of the first West German carmakers to commit itself to the new federal states. Simultaneously the company laid the foundations for the revitalization of automotive production in the region by opening the new plant and investing more than one billion Deutsch Mark. Furthermore, Opel also created numerous new jobs, also within the supplier industry.

Company is the first European manufacturer to introduce completely new manufacturing methods when the new Opel production system was implemented. It is based on five guided principles: employee involvement, continuous improvement, quality control from the start, standardization and short throughput times thanks to smooth logistics.

Opel plant in Eisenach has also been setting standard in environmental management since its opening. Recycling loops to re-use production residues or a state-of-the-art water retreatment plant are just two examples of the sustainable system.

During all these years, the Eisenach plant “reinvented” itself again and again. The small-car bestseller Opel Corsa was manufactured here until 2019, but now the employees at the plant produce the current top Opel SUV – the Grandland, which is also the first electrified Blitz model from Eisenach.

A glimpse behind the scenes

On Saturday, September 17, a ceremony with Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow and Opel CEO Florian Huettl will open the anniversary celebrations for “30 years of Opel Eisenach”. At the open day between 10.00 and 15.00 CET, visitors will have the opportunity to learn something about the eventful history of the plant up close. In the three production areas they will receive interesting information about the production of the Opel Grandland. Outside the halls, all the models previously manufactured in Eisenach will be presented, plus many other highlights from Opel's 160-year history.

!NEW! The Three Millionth Car from Eisenach is an Opel ADAM

• Opel plant in Thuringia celebrates impressive production milestone
• Minister President Lieberknecht and CEO Neumann special guests
• 1.2 billion euros invested since begin of vehicle production in 1990

Three million cars from Eisenach – this milestone was celebrated today at the Adam Opel AG plant in Thuringia. Many prominent guests including Minister President Christine Lieberknecht attended the event.

The three millionth Opel from Eisenach is an ADAM – here with Minister President of Thuringia Christine Lieberknecht, ADAM Cup driver Lina Van de Mars and Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann.

The star of the day was a white Opel ADAM with an Arden Blue roof that rolled off the assembly line at 11:30 a.m. to a huge round of applause. Behind the wheel was a woman who knows how to handle the ADAM, as she drives it in the Opel Rallye Cup: TV host Lina Van de Mars.

The three millionth Opel from Eisenach is an ADAM. From left to right: Plant Director Elvira Tölkes, head of the works council Bernd Lösche, ADAM Cup driver Lina Van de Mars, Minister President Christine Lieberknecht and Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann.

The first car off the assembly line in Opel Eisenach was an Opel Vectra presented right after German reunification in 1990. A total of 1.2 billion euros have been invested in Eisenach since the start of production – most recently nearly 200 million euros for the Opel ADAM.

Already more than 80,000 units of the lifestyle mini have been ordered across Europe since its launch last year – a sure-fire success for the plant that, together with the Corsa, ensures high capacity utilization and good future prospects. According to Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, the decision to produce the ADAM in the Eisenach plant was exactly right: “It is a tour de force to build a car like the ADAM in absolute top quality. With all its possibilities for individualization, it poses great challenges in terms of planning, logistics and production. Opel is the only automaker to develop and build a small car in Germany.”

Minister President Christine Lieberknecht underlined the important role Opel plays in the region as an employer and driving force for the establishment of other industries: “Opel Eisenach is an integral part of Thuringia! We want the Eisenach plant’s success story to continue! For generations now, reliability and quality have defined Opel products, and have even made them real cult objects. And the ADAM also has what it takes to become a cult car.”

The three millionth Opel from Eisenach is an ADAM – here with the employees of the Eisenach plant and guests of honor at the event.

From the very beginning, Eisenach was a plant that made waves in the industry. A new production system that ensured highest quality with short throughput times was implemented here. The plant set standards – for example with employee involvement, continuous improvements and a sophisticated logistics system. Already in 1993, GM selected the Opel Eisenach plant to serve as a training center for the Group. More than 16,500 employees from around the world have been to Thuringia to familiarize themselves with state-of-the-art production processes. Eisenach has also attracted prominent guests, from Chancellor Helmut Kohl (1990 and 1992) to US President Bill Clinton (1998).

Eisenach will continue to play an important role for Opel and GM. Plant Director Elvira Tölkes says, “We will further develop our quality, efficiency and competitiveness as we position the Eisenach plant for continued success in the future.”