Stellantis has told its employees at the Opel brand’s headquarters plant in Rüsselsheim, Germany, that 650 engineer roles will be cut.
Its communication to the workers’ union IG Metall was made on April 10, according to the union, which has yet to make any further comment in response to an email from WardsAuto.
A spokesperson at the facility, in the Rhein-Main region between Frankfurt and Mainz, said in an email that the cuts will be implemented in the Tech Center at the plant, which currently employs 1,650 engineers.
Negotiations with labor unions have only just begun, but Stellantis expects the transformation of the plant will be achieved by the end of 2027, the spokesperson said.
The center will specialize in product development for the Opel and Vauxhall brands and focus on transferable technology across the Stellantis Group, according to the spokesperson.
Based on this scope, the company assessed the expected workload and the workforce required in terms of size and skills.
“This defined mission corresponds to an organization of around 1,000 engineers, which is aligned with its future role in the global development network,” the spokesperson said.
Key future-looking areas for the facility will include advanced driver assistance systems; virtual development; artificial intelligence and efficiency-enhancing tools; digital lighting; battery development, including battery safety; and software module development for the STLA Brain architecture, the spokesperson added.
