Groupe PSA Says 15 New Models Will Be Electrified

Groupe PSA, which includes Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Vauxhall, and now Opel, says it will offer 15 electrified versions of all of its new cars designed as of 2019.

Groupe PSA Electrifies New Cars

Groupe PSA has gone through a few shaky decades but seems to have found some peace and reprieve these past few years, especially now thanks to Vauxhall and Opel. Although Groupe PSA previously offered electric vehicles via its Peugeot iOn and Citroen C-Zero, rebadged versions of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, it also had a diesel plug-in hybrid (PHEV) minivan. Unfortunately, the vehicle never received the development it needed and Peugeot eventually abandoned it.

Yesterday, Groupe PSA announced its electric future strategy, which includes that each new PSA vehicle designed as of 2019 will either have to include a fully electric or hybrid/plug-in hybrid (PHEV) option. This is similar to plans already reported by Volvo, BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, and others.

According the to the press release: “The Groupe PSA’s five brands will offer clean mobility solutions in the form of all-electric, zero-emission vehicles or plug-in hybrid emitting less than 49g/km of CO_2.”

Concretely, Groupe PSA says it will launch 15 new electrified vehicles in just two years. Eight will be new PHEVs, including the DS 7 Crossback E-tense 4×4, Peugeot 3008, Peugeot 508 and 508 SW, Citroën C5 Aircross, Vauxhall Grandland X, Opel Grandland X. Additionally, seven new electric models are expected. One of those will be the DS 3 Crossback E-tense, the first vehicle of the new electric generation that was just revealed.

A new line of PHEV engines for the PHEVs using four-wheel and four-drive mode, including the company’s HYBRID4, was also introduced. The PHEV uses 300V lithium-ion battery packs (11.8 to 13.2 kWh), giving the vehicles an estimated 30 miles range on electricity.

The Groupe PSA unveiled four vehicles in Paris last week, with reservations available for the DS 3 Crossback La Première Limited Edition.

• DS 3 Crossback SUV, with the 100% electric version being the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense;
• DS 7 Crossback E-Tense 4×4 — equipped with a highly-versatile PHEV powertrain;
• DS E-Tense FE 19 — 100% electric single-seat race car from the FIA Formula E championship, displayed in its new 2018/2019 livery;
• DS X E-Tense — the brand’s fully electric “dream car,” the vision of luxury for 2035.

As far as the pure electrics, the unveiling of the fully electric DS 3 Crossback E-Tense is the most promising. It will go on sale by the second half of 2019, but the price wasn’t quoted in the release. So far, the group has revealed the EV will have a potential range of 200 miles (320 km), or on the European cycle 265 miles (430 km). Groupe PSA said it focused particularly on regenerative braking recouping up to 20% of the lost momentum.

DS 3 Crossback E-Tense Quick Specs:

• Electric motor: 100 kW/136 hp
• Torque: 260 Nm (~192 Lb. Ft.)
• 50kWh lithium-ion battery
• New climate control heat pump generation for optimal cabin and battery life
• 0 to 30 mph (0 to 50 km/h) in 3 seconds
• 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in 8.7 seconds

You can read the rest of the vehicles in the press release here.

So Steve, yes, the Groupe PSA DS electric SUV IS coming the the US at some point!