Apparently, out of nowhere, French carmaker PSA attacked an expired Volkswagen to deliver what could be the town’s electric car.
Yes, the Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf, as well as the tough PLAYERS in Hyundai’s EV and Kia, dominate the position with less than 40,000 euros in Europe, but the 210-year-old Peugeot surprised the market.
PSA has already shown itself to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, with a profit in the first half of 595 million euros despite the blockade of its largest markets for months.
And now figures have emerged showing its e-208, the all-electric edition of its sedan of small masses, unexpected in the European market.
The e-208, which is built on the same production lines as the 208 combustion models, recorded 17% of the Peugeot 208 style in june in its 10 largest European markets.
Renault’s Zoe EV outperforms the e-208 by almost 3 to one, however, the Zoe is well established and Peugeot’s strategy is greater flexibility in the event of a drop in ev demand or combustion.
PSA’s knowledge shows that the increase in its small zero-emission trap has boosted the balance of sales of electric vehicles in Europe to France and Germany.
France tops the European list of sales of electric vehicles with around 45,000 cars compared to the month ahead of Germany. The United Kingdom slipped ahead of Norway in third place, followed by the Netherlands in fifth place, followed by Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.
Among them, the German Volkswagen Group and the French Alliance Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi own almost 45% of the vehicle market in Europe, Volkswagen owns 22.5% and the Alliance 22.2%.
One of the vital reasons for the e-208 jump is an increase in the French government’s incentives. Now there is a premium of 7,000 euros for electric vehicle buyers, which can be surpassed by 12,000 euros with the program of scrapping old cars in France.
In French megacities such as Paris and Marseille, this incentive for electric cars can accumulate up to 19,000 euros with local government grants included, or more than two-thirds of the list worth 29,682 euros for e-208 in Germany and France.
Or, in France, you can hire an e-208 for a down payment of $8198 and €309 depending on the month.
Good deal, actually.
The e-208 operates a hundred kW/260 Nm electric motor connected to a 50 kWh lithium-ion battery, giving it a 340km WLTP diversity.
The German EV stimulus, on the other hand, is more confusing than the French stimulus and is a stimulus package of 130 billion euros.
It presented an incentive of 6000 euros to electric cars (distributed at 50:50 between the government and the car manufacturer), but higher with another 3000 euros.
The challenge is that German incentives apply to electric cars below 40,000 euros and this list is barely filled.
This is the Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, BMW i3, Niro from Kia, Hyundai Kona and Ioniq, Peugeot e-208, Tesla Model 3 and the next Volkswagen ID.3.
Ironically, european Electric Car Report automotive analyst and editor Matthias Schmidt believes the e-208’s sudden good fortune can convince Peugeot to delay EV deliveries until 2021, rather than moving toward the Zoe.
“In fact, PSA is required to drive as many EVF and other brands because of their advanced ICE (internal combustion engines) and MHEV (soft hybrid VE), while still meeting CO2 standards cost-effectively,” he said.
“Some other OEMs want unprofitable BOVs on the market to have major consequences under EU7 emission standards in the EU.”
PSA insisted that its electric vehicle strategy would be successful from the first car sold, and so far it turns out to be ongoing.
“So far, e-208 records have been very conservative compared to other models such as the Zoe, for example, which recorded almost 3 times more records in Western Europe in the first six months.
“PSA’s cost-effective path to compliance is proving to be a big step forward and shows that it’s not just ABOUT BEV.”
Any company that promotes cars in Europe will have to achieve an average CO2 emissions of 95 grams /one hundred km or face fines that can easily amount to billions of euros.
“Paradoxically, I can believe that if this 17% e-208 figure is still so high, we may be expecting some of those deliveries to be postponed until 2021 to make a contribution to compliance there, because if they deliver too much this year, they would possibly have disruptions next year,” Schmidt told me.
“Where some analysts think that OEMs would have trouble achieving compliance until 2020, a luxury challenge they have now, that is, in a depressed general market, is that they can overcome that compliance through benefit subsidies and will probably move a giant part of those electric vehicles.” deliveries until 2021.”
While Renault-Nissan is France’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, PSA is the latest.
It has two multi-energy vehicle platforms and has unveiled two new architectures committed to electric cars, adding the eVMP for electric cars in the C and D segments.
“With this eVMP platform, the PSA Group once back demonstrates its ability to innovate through emerging and affordable technologies for its consumers through the frugality that has enabled significant relief in studies and business progression and investments,” said PSA Director Nicolas Morel.
This global platform will allow us to be offering a diversity of cars perfectly respectful to the environment, meeting the conversion expectations of our consumers and ensuring the excitement of driving and onboard protection, values that are now the reputation of the Group. .
The largest of the two platforms, the eVMP, will be introduced in 2023, for sedans and SUVs with between 60 and one hundred kWh of garage power in a battery area below the floor.
PSA has targeted 50 kWh consistent with the meter in its wheelbase, giving it between km and 650 km of WLTP range.
And eVMP can happen in many areas. The PSA Group sells the Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel and Vauxhall brands, and when its Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) officially merges with Stellantis, it will merge with the Chrysler, Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Lancia and Fiat brands. as much as.
I’ve been testing cars and writing about the auto industry for over 25 years. My career began in the newspapers and became the writing of two
I’ve been testing cars and writing about the auto industry for over 25 years. My career began in the newspapers and evolved in the writing of two automotive magazines. I was founded in Italy as a freelancer for more than a decade, covering the European automotive sector, with a focus on product testing and product progression for readers around the world. I judge the smart and badness of cars in the way they carry out their intended purposes at their costs for their target consumers compared to all their competitors. I do not occupy short or long positions in the automotive industry, basically because this can only compromise the integrity of my work, so my written positions are a condensation of the acquired knowledge combined with approximately 4 complete cycles of delight products in value.