France’s largest automaker, PSA Peugeot Citroën, has pledged to bring to market cheaper electric cars which will have a longer range than its current products.
The announcement was made by CEO Carlos Tavares, who said the company is also close to finalizing development of its first series plug-in hybrid. Tavares said PSA’s second-generation EVs will arrive in 2020.
“They will have a better performance, greater range and a lower price to the customers,” the executive was quoted as saying by Autonews Europe.
PSA’s electric cars, the Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-Zero (pictured), have failed to convince customers, reaching combined sales of just 1,300 units last year. Both cars are rebadged versions of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.
The French automaker’s second-generation EVs will be built in-house using the EMP1 platform, which will also underpin PSA’s next generation of B- and entry-level C-segment cars. “PSA will make pure electric cars from the bottom of the market upwards based on the new platform by the end of the decade,” a PSA spokesman said.
PSA Peugeot Citroën CEO Carlos Tavares also announced the launch of a gasoline-electric plug-in hybrid model for 2019, which will be based on the larger EMP2 platform. The Peugeot 308 hatchback and Citroën C4 Picasso are based on this architecture, which will also be used for the next generation Citroën C5 and Peugeot 508.
While Tavares didn’t reveal which vehicles will get plug-in hybrid versions, he said the powertrain will debut in one of the automaker’s high-end models. According to reports from French media, the DS brand will be the first to get the technology.
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