Opel

The future of the Holden Commodore is in doubt, with insiders claiming it is likely to come to an unceremonious end about 12 months from now, bringing down the curtain on a tumultuous 42-year run. However, Holden says the Holden Commodore is here to stay despite the shock announcement in the US overnight that its identical twin, the Buick Regal, will be phased out next year due to weak sales driven by a buyer shift to SUVs.

Electric vehicles require less maintenance than cars with internal-combustion engines, with fewer fluids to change and fewer moving parts. That’s good news… but not for automakers. According to the UK's Autocar, PSA Group electric and connected boss, Helen Lees, sees the rise of electric vehicles as being a threat to the automotive industry by virtue of their simplicity.

PSA Group will introduce a battery-electric version of its mid-sized cargo vans, the Peugeot Expert, Citroen Jumpy and Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro. Automotive News reports the vans, which use PSA’s EMP2 platform, will be available with two different levels of electric range. Base models will have a 50kWh battery with a range of 200km under WLTP standards. An available 75kWh battery will have a range of 300km.

Opel has announced the next-generation Astra small car will be built at its Rüsselsheim facility in Germany from 2021, also confirming an electrified variant. Currently, the Astra is assembled at Ellesmere Port in the UK, and Gliwice in Poland – the former supplying Australia’s now-axed Holden Astra Sportwagon, and the latter the source of the Holden Astra hatchback which remains on sale.

The PSA Group, parent to brands including Peugeot, Citroen and Opel, could shake up its production schedule, starting with the next-generation Peugeot 308. UPDATE, 15/5/19: Automotive News Europe has published a new article this morning quoting a PSA spokesperson shutting down rumours of Peugeot 308 production outside of France. "There is no plan to produce the 308 in Germany or in the UK," the spokesperson told the publication. "We will advise on the production site when appropriate."