BMW confirms its hiring of former Opel product chief Frank Weber

BMW AG confirmed it has hired Frank Weber, former head of product planning at General Motors Co.'s Opel/Vauxhall unit.

Weber will become head of vehicle architecture and integration at BMW, a spokesman for the premium carmaker told Automotive News Europe today. The spokesman did not give details of when Weber will start at BMW.

Weber will report to Klaus Draeger, BMW's head of research and development, company sources told ANE last week.

Weber's move to BMW gives the carmaker a huge boost in electric vehicle expertise as Weber was the lead engineer for the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid.

BMW plans to launch its i3 full-electric car and its i8 plug-in hybrid in 2013.

Opel has not named a successor for Weber, who returned to GM's European subsidiary in November 2009 to lead its product team. Prior to that, Weber spent two years at GM in the United States working on the Volt. The Volt and Opel's version of the car, the Ampera, will go on sale in Europe in November.

Weber is a German native who joined Opel in 1991 after finishing his engineering studies at Darmstadt University. He held several leading positions in the technical development center in Ruesselsheim such as director of advanced concept engineering.

By Harald Hamprecht- Automotive News