The PSA Group did outline some early plans to develop an EV roadmap based on their EMP2 platform – the underpinnings on such cars as the 308 hatch and newly unveiled 3008 crossover sit.
Of course, both those examples are cars from Peugeot but will eventually spread to other makes from Citroen and DS as well. Same goes for their newer platform, co-developed with their Chinese partner Dongfeng, called CMP (Common Modular Platform), which also has support for hybrid and full electric power. In the case for CMP, pure electric versions will have the platform designation of e-CMP.
There’s very little apart from the initial admission from PSA about their interest and commitment to alternative energy transport and vehicles. Peugeot said, for example, that a 3008 with electric power will come in 2019 with a pure electric version of their other cars beyond that or not at all. So far, its all rather vague.
PSA did also state that their EV ramp up will start with the all-electric 3008 but accelerate to include more models progressively until 2021.
It seems obvious that Peugeot, Citroen (and by a lesser degree, DS) will start down the journey towards longer and longer range electrification by first starting out with plug-in hybrid vehicles, the kind that have enough battery capacity to provide an zero-emissions commute for most city-dwellers. This is a similar strategy to the one currently adopted by Volvo.
Also similarly, fast charging through special home transformers can allow vehicles to be charged in an hour or two, providing decent range or strategic electrical assistance to augment the turbo-petrol engine and dramatically reduce fuel consumption.
PSA expects battery technology to leap ahead from where the current charge time and capacity numbers we’re used to today, saying that these new breed of batteries will hold up to 12 times more charge within the same cell volume.
