Opel broke ground on a new complex of buildings at its headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany today, investing 210 million euros (nearly $286 million USD) to build the complex that will serve to test and develop the company’s next-generation “clean” powertrain units. The facilities will be ready by 2017 and will include 43 of the most up-to-date test benches for engineers to work on.
Despite losing close to $800 million in 2013, Opel is currently on a spending spree. The brand recently invested $5.25 billion to bring 27 new models and 17 new engines to market by 2018. All of which will contribute to the its ambitious plan to target earnings of five-percent before interest and tax (EBIT) before 2022.
“I am sure that fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of engines will always be important to customers. Therefore the new development center for efficient engines is a smart, climate-friendly investment,” Hesse, Germany’s minister of economic affairs, Tarek Al-Wazir, said.
Though time will tell if Opel is able to achieve its financial goals by 2022, we certainly think the brand is making a smart decision by embracing and developing powertrains that emit less pollutants and run more efficiently.
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