Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller Awarded “MANBEST 2019” by the AUTOBEST Jury

Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller with New Opel Corsa-e

Next honour for Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller: After already winning the “Eurostar 2019” award presented by industry magazine Automotive News Europe, Lohscheller has now been recognized by the renowned AUTOBEST jury and named “MANBEST 2019”.

“This award is obviously a great honour for me personally, but I would like to dedicate it to our entire team. Opel’s comeback story since becoming part of Groupe PSA would not have been possible without the commitment and dedication of each and every Opel employee. We can once again be proud of our brand and proud of what we have achieved as a team. And I promise that together we will ensure that the Opel Blitz continues to shine,” said Michael Lohscheller.

“In a time when Opel was searching for the path to success, Michael Lohscheller was the right man, at the right time, with the right vision and strategy to push the German carmaker into a new era of success. Michael Lohscheller is the first European CEO of Opel who has successfully driven the company to profit after almost two decades,” said AUTOBEST Chairman Dan Vardie.

Following the takeover of Opel by Groupe PSA in the summer of 2017, the management team led by Michael Lohscheller developed a comprehensive restructuring plan called PACE!. Overarching goals: with PACE! Opel will become sustainably profitable, global and electric. Consistent implementation of this plan under Lohscheller has seen Opel register a recurring operating income of €859 million in 2018 – the highest operating profit in the 157-year company history after nearly 20 years of losses. In the first half of 2019, Opel was able to further improve its results and achieved an operating income of €700 million in a difficult environment for the entire industry.

“MANBEST” award, which was introduced to recognize the leading automotive managers has been presented by AUTOBEST since 2001. AUTOBEST jury members represent 31 European countries, making it the largest independent motoring jury in the world in terms of the number of represented countries.

Production of All-New Opel Corsa Starts in Zaragoza

• Sixth generation of the bestseller is even more modern, efficient, dynamic and attractive
• Opel goes electric: Battery electric Opel Corsa-e to follow in early 2020

All-New Opel Corsa: Groupe PSA Chairman of Managing Board Carlos Tavares, King Felipe VI of Spain, Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller

Sixth generation of the Opel Corsa is now rolling off the production line at the Spanish Groupe PSA plant in Zaragoza: King Felipe VI of Spain, Groupe PSA Chairman of the Managing Board Carlos Tavares and Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller kicked off serial production of the Opel bestseller at a ceremony with employees and invited guests on Monday.

New Opel Corsa is now rolling off the production line at the Spanish Groupe PSA plant in Zaragoza

Sixth generation of the small car is even more modern, efficient, dynamic and attractive than its predecessors. All-New Opel Corsa is one of the most aerodynamic models in its class and considerably lighter than its predecessor. Weight reduction matches the overall sporty impression – the lightest Opel Corsa stays below the 1,000 kilogramme mark. In addition, there are highly efficient engines with lower fuel consumption and CO2 values than the best of the previous generation.

“Corsa is not only one of the most successful models in recent history with sales of around 14 million units in the last 37 years but also a milestone in our electrification offensive. As of early 2020, we will also build the Corsa-e in Zaragoza. Corsa-e will be the first fully electric Opel “made in Europe”. This is a very clear sign that we are bring the future to the Zaragoza plant with the new Corsa – and that Opel goes electric,” said Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller.

Opel Corsa-e, which comes with an output of 100 kW (136 hp) and an electric range of 330 kilometres (WLTP)1, makes electric mobility accessible to everyone. Together with the Opel Grandland X Hybrid4, the Corsa-e will sound in the electric era at Opel. Brand with the “Blitz” will offer an electric version of every model in its portfolio in 2024 already.

High Efficiency: New Opel Corsa and New Opel Astra with Energy-Saving LED Headlights

• Each headlight consumes only 13 Watt on dipped beam
• Savings of up to 1.3 grams CO2 per kilometre in New European Driving Cycle (NEDC)
• Special reflector technology ensures optimum brightness

New Opel Astra Sports Tourer with Energy-Saving LED Headlights

Optimum light output, minimum energy consumption. In order to further reduce CO2 emissions, Opel is offering highly efficient LED headlights on the new Astra and the new Corsa. The newest generations of these bestselling models made their debut a few days ago at the IAA Frankfurt International Motor Show.

New Opel Corsa with Energy-Saving LED Headlights

Emissions of the new Opel Corsa are very low – not only because the sixth generation of the best-selling small car is powered by highly efficient engines. New Opel Corsa is also optionally available with especially efficient LED lighting. Each headlight consumes only 13 Watt. That is an energy saving of 81 per cent compared with halogen, which gobbles up around 70 Watt per headlight. But this does not mean that customers must accept compromises in light output; on the contrary, thanks to a special reflector technology, LED headlights turn night into day.

New Opel Corsa is also optionally available with especially efficient LED lighting.

“New Corsa and Astra continue the Opel tradition of leadership in innovation”, said Ingolf Schneider, head of lighting technology at Opel. “Our development objective was to bring optimum light with minimum consumption to our cars. In future we want to use energy-saving LED lighting throughout the vehicle.”

On average, the LED headlights on the entry-level Corsa alone save 1.3 grams of CO2 per kilometre (according to NEDC). With the petrol turbo engine it is 1.38 g/km and 1.23 g/km with the diesel (fuel consumption NEDC1: urban 5.5-3.7 l/100km, extra-urban 4.2-2.9 l/100km, combined 4.7-3.2 l/100km, 106-85g/km CO2; fuel consumption WLTP2 combined: 6.2-4.0 l/100km, 140-105g/km CO2).

Opel Astra five-door saves 1.26 g/km CO2 (according to NEDC). The petrol turbo scores with 1.34 g/km CO2, the diesel with 1.19 (fuel consumption NEDC1: urban 6.3-3.9 l/100 km, extra-urban 4.3-3.1 l/100 km, combined 5.1-3.4 l/100 km, 116-90 g/km CO2; fuel consumption WLTP2 combined: 6.1-4.3, 141-112 g/km CO2; preliminary figures).

Instead of measuring emissions on a dynamometer, Opel’s engineers obtain the possible CO2 savings of a light source versus halogen more efficiently with the help of a mathematical formula. Calculation considers, among other things, how much wattage each light source actually saves in comparison to halogen, as well as the fact that drivers usually only use dipped beam in darkness, which accounts for just one third of all driving. Accordingly, only one third of the total drive-duration is included in the calculation.

One question remaining concerns the optimum light output at reduced wattage. Opel compensates for the lower electrical power of the LEDs with special reflector technology. Reflector of each headlight is shaped like a shovel so that the maximum amount of light from each LED is projected onto the road. New LED headlights from Opel are therefore extremely efficient, not only in energy consumption but also in terms of form and light-output.

New Opel Astra: Reflector of each headlight is shaped like a shovel so that the maximum amount of light from each LED is projected onto the road.