Electrified strategy in motion Groupe PSA

ELECTRIFIED STRATEGY IN MOTION

Strengthened by its French industrial heritage, Groupe PSA has since its very beginnings contributed to the history of the automotive world. With its global presence, the Group today is addressing the on-going transformations in the sector with ambition, vitality and efficiency.

From the production of one of the first petrol cars in the 19th century to the invention of the technologies required for the advent of the intelligent, connected, and autonomous cars of the future, the history of Groupe PSA is marked by a dynamic industrial heritage stretching back over 200 years.

Two car manufacturers emblematic of French industrial know-how are at the root of Groupe PSA: Peugeot, one of the first companies to produce and sell petrol cars at the end of the 19th century, and Citroën, whose avant-garde technologies in design and industrial processes revolutionised the automotive world from the beginning of the 20th century.

The PSA Peugeot Citroën group stepped up its international growth in the 2000s, a period marked by the ramp-up of proprietary technologies, initiated by the invention of the particulate filter in 2000 and culminating in the launch of the three-cylinder EB PureTech engine in 2012, reducing CO2 emissions by 18 per cent.

More recently the Group has achieved several major milestones. In 2016, PSA Peugeot Citroën transformed into Groupe PSA, and in 2017, Groupe PSA announced the closing of the acquisition of Opel and Vauxhall, a move that positioned Groupe PSA in second place in Europe with a market share of 17 per cent (2017).

Electric presence

Since 2019, Groupe PSA has launched all-electric or plug-in hybrid versions of all its new models, with an objective to offer a fully electrified portfolio by 2025.

Following the 2020 launch of electric versions of their medium van models (D-Van) and large van (E-Van), the four brands, Peugeot, Citroën, Opel and Vauxhall will complete their line-ups in 2021 with all-electric versions of their compact van (B-Van) and associated passenger cars.

The new generation of Groupe PSA’s compact van have collected numerous titles including the 2019 “International Van of the Year” award. The passenger car versions were also voted the AUTOBEST “Best Buy Car of Europe 2019”. These successes have been confirmed in the market, with sales exceeding 650,000 units worldwide since their launch in September 2018.

Xavier Peugeot, Senior Vice-President of Groupe PSA’s Light Commercial Vehicles Business Unit said: “With these all-electric versions of compact vans and associated passenger cars, Groupe PSA is continuing its electrification offensive and now offers a completely electrified LCV portfolio without any compromises on performance”.

Between 2020 and 2025, Groupe PSA will gradually move from two multi-energy platforms to two 100 per cent electrified platforms to support the e-mobility development. The new eVMP (Electric Vehicle Modular Platform) will serve as the basis for a wide range of electric vehicles for the C- and D- segments, offering highperformance with an autonomy of up to 650 km (WLTP cycle) and a benchmark storage capacity with 50 kW.h per meter available within the wheelbase.

With this eVMP platform, Groupe PSA once again demonstrates its ability to innovate by developing for its customers state-of-theart and affordable technologies. “This global platform will make it possible to offer a range of vehicles that are perfectly respectful of the environment, meeting the changing expectations of customers and guaranteeing driving pleasure and safety on board, values that

are the basis of the Group’s reputation today”, said Nicolas Morel, Research and Development Director at Groupe PSA.

2020 and beyond

Despite the turbulent developments of 2020, the Group’s performance has remained outstanding: global sales almost doubled in June versus May, in the context of the coronavirus crisis; with electrification of the PC and LCV range continuing at high pace. The Group ranks among the best performing OEMs and is compliant with 2020 European CO2 objectives.

Up to now, the Group has put 131 new electrified models to the market. All new models now come with either an all-electric or a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The global strategy is in line with the Group’s roadmap to offer a 100 per cent electrified range from 2025, of which 50 per cent will be electrified by the end of 2021.

“Following the difficult months of lockdowns, our teams are in recovery mode in this critical period, fully committed to spur profitable sales, driven by high-quality, competitive models. In parallel, our monthly CO2 committee ensures that we respect our ethical commitment towards European CO2 targets. We also continue to put our ability to serve client expectations with multi-energy products and very innovative new offers such as the Citroën Ami. Acting this way, we more than ever feed our ambition to provide clean, safe and affordable mobility solutions to our customers.” says Carlos Tavares, Chairman of the Groupe PSA Managing Board. n