Opel, GM’s main European branch, has announced that it plans to reduce its carbon emissions footprint by 27 percent with the introduction of a multitude of new powertrains, which will help them comply with the increasingly-stringent EU laws.
The idea is to launch a total of 13 new engines, and achieve an 80 percent renewed powertrain range by 2016. With a planned investment of €4 ($5.24) billion, GM wants to release a total of 23 new models by the same 2016 deadline.
The 27 percent CO2 emissions drop would equate to a reduction from 132.8 g/km, recorded in 2012, to 97 g/km. This will help Opel (and sister company Vauxhall) to reach the EU-imposed 95 g/km average rating, which must be achieved by 2020.
The first of these new engines has already made its debut in the Zafira, and it’s a 1.6-liter turbocharged unit. A 1.6-liter diesel is next, and then a variety of smaller-displacement units, ranging from 1.0-liter to 1.5-liter will also be introduced. For instance, the Opel Adam will receive a much needed turbocharged unit from this new series of engines – most likely the one-liter engine.
When it comes to diesels, Opel will be ridding itself of the old 1.7-liter units, as well as the lower-powered two-liter diesels, replacing them with modern 1.6-liter equivalents.
Furthermore, according to Europe Autonews, several of the engines will get some form of hybridization, despite the fact that it had been previously stated that it would not be needed in order to achieve the required average by 2020.
According to Mike Ableson, Opel’s board member responsible for engineering, “Europe will continue be the place that pushes the leading edge of CO2 technology. We intend to stay at that leading edge.” One last thing they are doing to reach that goal is the introduction of eight-speed automatic gearboxes, which have actually become common among larger cars…
By Andrei Nedelea
Note: Opel Astra sedan pictured
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