Photo: Catalin Garmacea
The Citroen C-Zero and Peugeot iOn were arguably some of the worst ideas in the history of French carmaking. Between 2010 and 2012, they only managed to achieve a little over 10,000 sales across Europe. As a result of competition with Nissan's Leaf, those numbers dwindled even further after that. But PSA Peugeot Citroen Chief Executive, Carlos Tavares, is not going to give up on electricity.
During an annual shareholders meeting, Tavares announced that a successor will be introduced in 2020. Between now and then, it could be delayed, but the point here is that money is being invested.
The CEO announced a new group within the conglomerate is being established to work specifically on EVs. Unlike the C-Zero and iOn, which are based on the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and built in Japan, the new cars will be underpinned by the EMP1 platform, designed to fit several B- and C-segment cars.
Details are sketchy at the moment, but the EMP1 is said first to underpin a new premium subcompact model, most likely the successor for the DS3. Considering that electric mobility seems to mix well with the premium segment, PSA could decide to make a DS-branded EV.
A year before the EV, the company will launch its first plug-in hybrid, which will use a gasoline-electric setup, not diesel like the DS5 and 508 HYbrid4. According to Automotive News, the PHEV will be underpinned by the EMP2, which we find underneath the 308 compact.
Pretty much every concept car shown by Peugeot or Citroen in the last two years has been a hybrid, so figuring out which segment will be targeted is impossible. Tavares said the architecture has been laid out, but engineers are trying to figure out the battery placement.
The PHEV could be yet another DS luxury sedan designed to appeal to Chinese customers, a next-gen Peugeot 508 or even a Citroen. The question is: how will the French compete with the Passat GTE and the plug-in version of the new Audi A4 that's expected to come out later in 2015?
Editor's note: Notice how the Hybrid Air technology isn't mentioned anywhere? Tavares would be entitled to scrap this weird-sounding and overcomplicated technology.
The CEO announced a new group within the conglomerate is being established to work specifically on EVs. Unlike the C-Zero and iOn, which are based on the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and built in Japan, the new cars will be underpinned by the EMP1 platform, designed to fit several B- and C-segment cars.
Details are sketchy at the moment, but the EMP1 is said first to underpin a new premium subcompact model, most likely the successor for the DS3. Considering that electric mobility seems to mix well with the premium segment, PSA could decide to make a DS-branded EV.
A year before the EV, the company will launch its first plug-in hybrid, which will use a gasoline-electric setup, not diesel like the DS5 and 508 HYbrid4. According to Automotive News, the PHEV will be underpinned by the EMP2, which we find underneath the 308 compact.
Pretty much every concept car shown by Peugeot or Citroen in the last two years has been a hybrid, so figuring out which segment will be targeted is impossible. Tavares said the architecture has been laid out, but engineers are trying to figure out the battery placement.
The PHEV could be yet another DS luxury sedan designed to appeal to Chinese customers, a next-gen Peugeot 508 or even a Citroen. The question is: how will the French compete with the Passat GTE and the plug-in version of the new Audi A4 that's expected to come out later in 2015?
Editor's note: Notice how the Hybrid Air technology isn't mentioned anywhere? Tavares would be entitled to scrap this weird-sounding and overcomplicated technology.
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