Solarworld or Solardream: taking over Opel?
November 20, 2008
The SolarWorld Group which has so far been exclusively involved in solar power technology would subsequently develop Opel into the first 'green' European automotive group.
At the four German Opel locations it is the idea of SolarWorld AG to continue the sustainable further development of the current successful model ranges and, additionally, to produce a new generation of vehicles with energy-efficient, low-emission drives in the future.
My first reaction to this news item is one of disbelief. Will such David ever be able to digest an automobile Goliath? A comparison to AOL’s take over of TimeWarner comes to mind; not exactly a dream marriage.
But then again. The American car industry is on the brink of bankruptcy because they have missed some clear signals of the market. Somebody once made the statement: “Detroit is like the Soviet Union before the fall of the Berlin Wall, so slow in moving, adapting. Their SUV sales came down 40% and what do they have to offer? Nothing.” Given the current status of the “American Big Three” it is difficult to imagine that anyone would have done worse. In that light the idea of Solarworld is at least a splendid wake up call. For anyone who has doubted this: the international car industry is going to change dramatically. Environmental challenges will be a part of a new paradigm. Solarworld’s surprise may not do the trick today, but don’t rule out that similar initiatives in the near future will shake up some of these dinosaurs.
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