GM's Europe return expected to target Nordic countries with EVs

LONDON -- General Motors will begin sales of full-electric cars in Europe in the autumn, with the first markets expected to be Nordic countries.

GM's European lineup will be an "all-electric portfolio" that will leverage the automaker's EVs across more than one brand, GM Europe President Jaclyn McQuaid told Automotive News Europe on the sidelines of The Financial Times' Future of the Car event on Tuesday.

McQuaid said GM's EV sales will launch in the autumn but she did not disclose GM target markets in Europe.

A source familiar with the matter told Automotive News Europe that the automaker will target Nordic countries first. EV sales are booming in Norway where the government is chasing a target to have zero-emission cars account for all new vehicle sales by 2025. Other Nordic countries include Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

The Lyriq midsize crossover from GM's Cadillac luxury brand will be on the launch list, the source said.

GM currently sells limited numbers of high-end models in Europe, including the Chevrolet Corvette sports car. The automaker left Europe's volume market in 2017 when it sold Opel/Vauxhall to PSA Group, which later merged with Fiat Chrysler to form Stellantis.

GM CEO Mary Barra said last year that she was "looking forward" to the company re-entering the European market as an electric-vehicle focused company.

The automaker has set up an advanced design unit for Europe in the U.K. and expanded its IT innovation hub in Ireland.

The Chevrolet Bolt is unlikely to be part of the launch lineup after GM said in April it would stop making the model at the end of this year. The Bolt used a previous generation battery, which has been replaced by Ultium battery platform used by all new GM electric vehicles.

Along with the Lyriq, other products that would fit with European tastes for smaller vehicles include the new Chevrolet Equinox compact crossover, which goes on sale in the U.S. this year priced from $30,000 (27,400 euros). An electric version of the Chevrolet Blazer midsize crossover is also expected this year.

Other newly launched GM full-electric vehicles including the Hummer and Chevy Silverado full-size pickups would only appeal to a niche customer base if launched in Europe.

GM also has the option to bring over electric vehicles from China. Potential models include the newly revealed Buick Electra E5 midsize crossover, which will cost from the equivalent of $30,000.

GM's vehicle sales in Europe in the first quarter were 143 Cadillacs, including XT4 and Escalade models, and 221 Chevrolets, largely the Corvette sports car, according to figures from Dataforce.