Opel New Zealand – Noah Robertson

Company Vehicle: Can you identify your brand’s single leadership area when it comes to non-ice product? PHEV/BEV/ Self charge hybrid/mhev or other?

Opel NZ: We are an LEV specialist brand with a dominant focus on electric vehicles. Our latest vehicle to arrive – the all-new Astra launching next month – has won nine Car of the Year Awards in Europe and counting, some juries have said it is so good, that’s it’s ‘changing the balance of the compact class’ entirely.

Company Vehicle: What – in your opinion – makes your ‘hero’ non-ice solution better than the others?

Opel NZ: The potential for cost-saving with the level of efficiency will be astonishing to some, while others will love the simple practicality of the large boot and AGR (German Chiropractic Association) co-designed 10-way seats. However, the level of design that has gone into the exterior and interior on the Astra is the real winner here. On the inside the contrasting premium materials, textures and sculpted dashboard encasing the Purepanel dual displays is a shining example of our “Bold and Pure” design philosophy, while on the outside muscular bonnet raises and low-slung sports lines sweeping across the vehicle provide a modern and sporty look.

Company Vehicle: Outside of pricing specials, does your brand offer incentives to fleet buyers in respect of non-ice vehicles? Opel NZ: Yes, and they are at a greater level than our ICE models. Opel is primarily an electrified brand, with the majority of our stock profile being full EV or plug-in hybrid, so our fleet pricing specials focus primarily on LEV. Along with our offers, we provide HOW-TO-EV With Opel training seminars to businesses who require them.

Company Vehicle: Is Opel NZ on track with its non-ice vehicle plans here? Have you reached your targets in terms of supplying the market?

Opel NZ: With the Corsa-e we have seen 100 percent throughsale in Q4 and so far in Q1, with the Mokka-e though we’ve already had several large fleet orders both this year and last year, and our consumer run rate has outsold a few other EV models from other more established brands already. We believe this is due to Opel being an electrified brand and having captivating design, rather than just the price and features advantage. With our new Astra and Grandland arriving next month, the future is bright for Opel.

Company Vehicle: Do you see a ‘flattening’ of interest or are you still seeing significant uptakes of your non-ice product?

Opel NZ: Our ratio of sales has favoured non-ice products since launch, we expect this trend to continue.

Company Vehicle: In your opinion, is the fleet sector engaging more with the idea of non-ice product and are they as informed about it as they should be, or are there still some gaps that need to be filled in terms of education?

Opel NZ: Our discussions with the fleet sector has been 100 percent about LEV models so far, and our initial fleet business has been with our fully electric models. The fleet sector is getting up to speed with electric product at lightning speed since only last year, and even kitting out their premises with chargers ahead of time, it’s very inspiring.

Company Vehicle: What do you see the biggest hurdle to fleets taking up non-ice vehicles?

Opel NZ: Education is usually the biggest barrier. It’s a simple cost advantage when wall boxes are installed on location. The end-user still has reticence around making the switch to EV, because it’s unfamiliar and represents a change for them. We find after one week of their commute and new routine with an EV or Hybrid, this reticence usually converts to “why didn’t we do this sooner?.

Companies can simply provide a dongle, the new petrol fuel card, to enable this. I top up on the charging stations at work periodically and commute the rest of the week with no other charging needed. It’s a new routine, but one that fits and adds to my lifestyle rather than takes away, I enjoy the conversations at the charging station or in the café with other EV owners.

Company Vehicle: And the biggest advantage?

Opel NZ: The biggest advantage can be cost savings at the pump, but a very close second to that, as we’ve found with a couple of our first fleet deals, is the brand benefit for the company. They are seen as leading the way, a little more futureproof, especially with a brand like Opel which has a 100 percent electrified range and represents this positive change in its positioning.

Company Vehicle: How have you seen government’s support of the uptake of non-ice product, particularly as it pertains to your non-ice product?

Opel NZ: It’s really helped showcase our low emission credentials, as we are one of only two brands in NZ to have a 100 percent rebate range. This is especially evident though on our low emission Puretech petrol cars, as you can clearly see the clean car discounts are higher than many hybrids on the road. The level of rebate these vehicles receive, such as $2438 on the Corsa SRI, shows just how efficient and low emission this model is.

Company Vehicle: Given there is an Election in October, is there a message you would give to an incoming government, or the re-elected government should that happen?

Opel NZ: We’re at close to 1 percent EV utilisation of fleets, so while progress has been strong, we are nowhere near close to critical mass, the risk of reducing the subsidy now could unwind this progress. Plus, New Zealand’s clean and green narrative is important, we have an absolutely stunning and rare natural beauty in our landscapes (perhaps especially noticeable as a brit!), and the upkeep of this is something to be proud of and leads to increased value in many sectors, but our carpark is one of the oldest and dirtiest in the OECD. When it comes to the cities, it’s easy to close our car door and believe we are in a cocoon, but there is a community behind your closed car door that doesn’t want to be polluted. Noxious pollution from cars is an issue, and there simply is a better alternative that car be cost effective too. The subsidy has enabled progress here, but the job is simply not finished.

Company Vehicle: Has there been any new information, specifically on the electrification of a utility vehicle, which you can share: timelines, development progress, anything, even if it is status quo (and please reiterate the status quo)?

Opel NZ: Not at this stage. I can say the Manta GSE is real, it will be a full EV high-riding coupe sports utility vehicle and is scheduled for production in 2025.