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Peugeot to Launch New EV and Plug-In Hybrid Within 3 Years

Emission regulations are tightening in Europe, and the wind of change is blowing from the French government. So, like it or not, Renault, Peugeot and Citroen are going green by the end of this decade. But a recent interview with the head of brand strategy of the Lion brand revealed it may even happen sooner than that.
Peugeot to Launch New EV and Plug-in Hybrid Within 3 Years 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
Jérôme Micheron, Head of Brand Strategy & Product Planning, told AutoRAI that Peugeot will launch a dedicated EV within the next three years, so we are looking at 2019 or earlier. There will also be a plug-in hybrid version of that car that will be equipped with a small gasoline engine and offer a pure-electric range of about 50 kilometers.

What we don't yet know is what kind of car they will come up with, but we suspect it's a bespoke one, like the Toyota Prius, Nissan Leaf or Renault Zoe. Speaking of which, Micheron believes that Peugeot is "not too late" to take advantage of the EV market. In the meantime, customers can still order the iOn model.

That has arguably been the least successful model in Peugeot's recent history. While Renault and Nissan dominate the market, the re-badged Mitsubishi i-MiEVonly managed to shift 10,000 cars between 2010 and 2012 and demand dwindled even further afterward.

According to our previously acquired information, the new EV that's scheduled to arrive in 2019 will be based on the EMP2 platform used by the 308. The plug-in system will use a 1.2-liter engine and may find its way into several superminis, including the DS3.

PSA Peugeot-Citroen revealed several hybrid powertrains in its concept cars, including ones that used a V6 diesel engine. It seems that the Hybrid Air technology that used compressed air instead of electricity has been scrapped. The Fractal, Peugeot's most recent concept, features a 204 horsepower AWD electric drivetrain and a roadster body. However, it's more reasonable to expect an FWD hatchback to enter production.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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