GM Returning To Europe This Autumn With Multi-Brand EV Portfolio

General Motors will return to Europe this year with an all-electric lineup from more than one brand, with the first markets expected to be Nordic countries.

GM Europe President Jaclyn McQuaid told Automotive News Europe that the automaker will begin sales of fully electric cars in Europe in the autumn. She did not disclose GM’s target markets in Europe, but a source familiar with the matter told the publication that the carmaker plans to enter Nordic countries first.

The source referred to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, where EV sales are booming. In Norway, the country with the highest EV adoption rate in the world, the government is chasing a target to have zero-emission vehicles make up all new vehicle sales by 2025.

GM did not provide details about the electric vehicle models that it will sell in Europe either, but the source said the Cadillac Lyriq mid-size crossover will be on the launch list. Most likely, the list will include only Ultium-based EVs.

Other products that would fit with European tastes for smaller vehicles include the upcoming Chevrolet Equinox EV compact crossover, which goes on sale in the US this year with a $30,000 base price. The Chevrolet Blazer EV mid-size model would also fit well in Europe.

The Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV most likely won’t be part of the launch lineup, though, after GM announced last month it would stop making the small models by the end of this year. Interestingly, GM briefly sold a rebadged version of the Bolt EV in Europe – the Opel Ampera-e – when it was still a full-line automaker in the region.

The list of models that GM could potentially bring to Europe also includes the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, and GMC Hummer EV, although the full-size trucks would only appeal to a niche customer base.

Still, with Ford already confirming the F-150 Lightning for the Norwegian market, there’s a chance GM might follow suit. Another (rather remote) possibility is the Cadillac Celestiq ultra-luxury sedan.

Last year, GM CEO Mary Barra said she was “looking forward” to the company returning to Europe as an EV-focused automaker. 

The US company left Europe’s volume market in 2017 when it sold Opel/Vauxhall to France’s PSA Group, which later merged with Fiat Chrysler to form Stellantis. GM has sold limited numbers of high-end models in Europe since, including the Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cadillac XT4.

General Motors has set up an advanced design unit for Europe in the UK and expanded its IT innovation hub in Ireland.