As you know, PSA are in talks about buying Opel-Vauxhall from GM. In general the financial predictions look positive—there are strong prospects for profitability by dint of cost savings and synergies. That alone would amply justify the purchase. But I also see a particularly large potential benefit in R&D and especially in lighting. That’s because significant synergies will be achieved in R&D efforts. The necessary costs of investing in EVs and AVs well be spread across a larger number of cars, increasing the feasibility overall. I see strong complementarities between a company focused on style and cost and a company focused on technology—a company popular in France, Spain and Italy, and a company more present in Germany and the UK—a company who successfully and swiftly recovered from a depressed situation under the strong management of Carlos Tavares and a company ready to absorb this operatioanal experience to restructure itself.
In lighting, I am sure that a team with Ingolf Schneider, Laurent Serezat, and Whilk Goncalves will be very strong and will very well mix technology, design, and cost control so the research and development in all three areas will be greater than now. The Renault-Nissan Alliance demonstrates that collaboration between two generalist car makers scan be successful; perhaps it is something of a template for PSA and Opel-Vauxhall.
Sincerely yours
DVN President