GM strengthens Europe team ahead of EV push

General Motors has hired a specialist in European Union public affairs, Ludovic Basset, as the U.S. automaker pushes to re-establish itself after leaving the region in 2017.

Basset joins GM as its Brussel-based head of EU Affairs.

The 46-year-old French national, has spent the last 15 years working inside the EU's political environment. He joins GM from European motorcycle industry association ACEM.

As ACEM's head of corporate and public affairs, Basset helped to shape the long-term vision and sustainability strategy for the region's motorcycle sector, GM said in a release.

"I am eager to play a role in bringing GM's vision of Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion to fruition in Brussels," Basset said in the release.

Basset, whose main job will be to manage the relationship between GM and EU policymakers, will report to GM International Affairs Vice President Daniel Frakes.

GM aims to transform its European operations into "an agile, non-traditional startup, with an all-electric vehicle portfolio at its core."

In recent months, the automaker has set up an advanced design unit for Europe in the UK and expanded its IT innovation hub in Ireland.

The moves come roughly six years after GM sold Opel/Vauxhall to PSA Group. Today, Opel/Vauxhall is part of Stellantis.

GM CEO Mary Barra said last year she has "no seller's remorse" about shedding the brands, which were focused on internal-combustion engines at the time the sale. Now GM can re-enter Europe, where the Parliment on Tuesday approved a law that will phase out combustion engine cars by 2035, with an electric-only focus.

GM did not fully exit Europe after the Opel/Vauxhall sale, retaining a headquarters in Zurich and selling a small number of Cadillacs (mostly the XT4 crossover) and the Chevrolet Corvette.

Last year the brands sold a combined 1,587 vehicles in Europe, according to market researcher Dataforce, with the Corvette account for nearly half of those sales.