A Cadillac Lyriq electric vehicle (EV) under General Motors is seen during its world premiere on a media day for the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, China April 19, 2021. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 5 (Reuters) - General Motors (GM.N) said on Thursday it would start selling all-electric Cadillac vehicles in Switzerland, the first step in a return to European markets since selling off the Opel and Vauxhall brands in 2017. The Cadillac Lyriq will be the first model available to Swiss drivers, and GM's McQuaid said customers will be able "complete the entire purchase online in a matter of minutes." Electric vehicle (EV) sales are taking off in Europe - more than one in five new cars sold in the European Union in August were fully electric. In 2017, GM sold the Opel and Vauxhall brands, which had lost money for two decades, to France's PSA.

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Persons: Aly, Jaclyn McQuaid, GM's McQuaid, BYD, Nick Carey, Paul Simao Organizations: General Motors, Auto Shanghai, REUTERS, Opel, Vauxhall, European Union, Chery, HK, GM, France's PSA, PSA, Fiat Chrysler, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Switzerland, Swiss, Sweden, France, Europe