Opel will cut up to 1,000 jobs in Germany according to local reports.

Handelsblatt reports that local labor director Ralph Wangemann told employees of the plan during a recent town hall meeting at Opel’s headquarters in Russelsheim, Germany.

It is understood that Wangemann has the ability to cut 1,000 jobs by the end of the year through partial retirement, early retirement, and severance pay.

“Against the background of the rapid transformation of the industry, the pandemic, the geopolitical situation, fragile supply chains and massive energy and raw material price increases, the company wants to open the voluntary program to up to 1,000 more employees in Germany,” an Opel spokesperson said in a statement.

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The car manufacturer currently operates three plants in Germany in Ruesselsheim, Eisenach, and Kaiserslautern.

Opel/Vauxhall aims to become a fully electric brand by 2028 and over the coming years, will unveil a plethora of new models. One of the most intriguing cars it is working on is a new Manta EV that is expected to arrive by the middle of the decade.

The Opel Manta EV will be based on a new EV-dedicated platform from Stellantis and will probably be similar in size to the Grandland. If this is the case, then it is likely that the STLA Medium architecture will be selected. This platform supports batteries ranging from 87 kWh to 104 kWh and offers up as much as 700 km (440 miles) of range. It is unclear how much power the EV will have but it could rock the automaker’s powertrain delivering between 168 hp and 241 hp, or a more powerful system with between 201 hp and 443 hp.