General Motors has a long and tumultuous history in Europe as the company announced plans to phase out the Chevrolet brand in 2013. The company then focused on Opel and Vauxhall but those brands were sold to Groupe PSA earlier this year.
Given its track record of huge and consistent losses, many felt the sale of Opel and Vauxhall sealed the fate of General Motors in Europe. However, GM CEO Mary Barra has revealed that isn’t the case.
Speaking to Detroit Automotive Press Association, Barra said GM would “absolutely” consider returning to Europe and noted “Nothing keeps us from going back.” A return isn’t likely to happen anytime soon as Barra suggested the company would need “transformative products” such as autonomous and electrified vehicles to seize any opportunity that presents itself.
The Detroit Bureau also noted Barra wasn’t shy about suggesting the automaker could leave additional markets besides India and South Africa. As she explained, “We need to generate an appropriate return. If we don’t see a path to generate appropriate returns we’re going to invest where we see better opportunities.”
Besides talking about international markets, Barra said hopes the United States government keeps its $7,500 rebate for electric vehicles. Even if the tax credits are phased out, Barra confirmed the company is committed to launching at least 20 new electric vehicles by 2023.
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