Peugeot Citroen details plan to embrace electric and hybrid tech ~ station of gear

PSA boss sets our plans for major growth in electric and hybrid cars across the Peugeot, Citroen and DS brands

2016-05-25 14:26

PSA will launch its bid to electrify much of its line-up with a hybrid DS SUV in 2019, the company has confirmed.

The French automotive giant - which comprises Peugeot, Citroen and DS - has already stated that it will launch seven plug-in hybrids across its ranges by 2021. Now it has confirmed more detailed specs on the system, and revealed that it will be introduced by a DS model in 2019.

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The vehicle in question is likely to be DS’s forthcoming large SUV, which could be called DS 6. It will make use of the fact that the plug-in hybrid version of PSA’s EMP2 platform - which currently underpins the Peugeot 308 - can be front-wheel drive or use electric motors in the rear axle to offer four-wheel drive. The big DS SUV is due to launch across Europe and China in late 2018, which makes the proposed debut of the plug-in hybrid version in 2019 logistically feasible.

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PSA says that in front-drive mode - with a new eight-speed automatic gearbox incorporating an electric motor and helping the combustion engine to drive the wheels - the plug-in hybrid set-up will produce 247bhp and and 360Nm. These figures rise to 296bhp and ‘more than 450Nm’ when the rear axle also gets electric drive.

PSA also announced that its forthcoming smaller CMP chassis technology - developed in conjunction with the firm’s Chinese partner DongFeng - will be engineered to accept a fully electric powertrain. The company claims that CMP, which is likely to underpin the next generations of the Peugeot 208 and DS 3, will offer as much as 280 miles of range in pure-electric form.

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Two levels of charging will be offered - a DC set-up that can replenish 80 percent of battery capacity in 30 minutes, and a home charger that takes eight hours to fully recharge but 90 minutes to reach around 60 miles of range.

CMP is expected to the vast majority of Peugeot, Citroen and DS small cars from early 2019 onwards. PSA says the electric technology could be offered on everything “from small city cars to compact SUVs and core sedans”.

Do you think PSA's plans to increase the number of hybrid and electric models in its range makes sense? Let us know in the comments...

John McIlroy

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