Volkswagen Sees No Danger from PSA Opel Deal

You may be aware that the French PSA Group (Peugeot, Citroen, etc) recently purchased German carmaker Opel for the princely sum of $2.3 billion. The deal has gotten a lot of media attention because the new union is the second biggest auto-conglomerate in Europe. Second to VW.

Despite the new fry nipping at its heels, though, Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller sees no reason for concern.

“It has no influence on our plans initially,” Mueller told Automotive News recently. “We have our own ideas and thoughts and will thoroughly work with them.”

Moreover, despite the merger, it’s not as if a new competitor has been created out of thin air.

“We took Opel and PSA seriously as competitors in the past,” said Mueller. “These were two brands and now they’re under a single roof. I don’t believe that a great deal will change there.”

Despite the new merger not being a cause for concern, the two giants will be competing for control of a European market whose regulations are tightening. With metropolitan centers moving towards banning not just diesels, but cars altogether VW’s plans for electrification become more important to its health every day.

[source: Automotive News]

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