Details of Peugeot's new electric version of the 3008 model are not being announced until next week but the company’s CEO has revealed in advance that there will be a claimed range of "up to 700 kilometres".
Linda Jackson says the car will be produced on a new Stellantis Group platform for medium-sized cars, meaning other companies within the group, such as Citroen, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Opel will use also.
She declined to reveal more details of how this kind of range would be achieved, other than to say it was due to a combination of factors such as weight, aerodynamics and electronic architecture.
Stellantis has invested some €30 billion in the process of electrifying its car ranges and has already opened a gigafactory in France to produce its own batteries.
Ms.Jackson, speaking at the opening of the new Gowan Auto HQ in Dublin, which handles Stellantis distribution, had some interesting things to say about the future of car ownership in Europe.
Pointing out that younger people up to the age of 25 and living in cities with good transport systems had no real requirement for a car, she said a pilot scheme in France, allowing an older age cohort to lease cars had seen a big uptake. For a monthly fee of €150, including insurance and tax, people can drive a car for 500 kilometres a month but pay more if they exceed that figure. Some 10 per cent of Peugeot e 208 cars are now accounted for through such leasing arrangements - a trend she predicted will increase.
"This kind for leasing is not for long-distance requirements. The way people access cars is changing and this system is working well", she said.
More and more car companies are looking at such leasing options. BMW even has a plan to offer customers an option of changing cars to suit their lifestyle during a lease period - a convertible in Summer or a four wheel drive in Winter, for example.
The Gowan Auto Group employs 130 people at its new HQ in Citywest and its brands now account for almost 10 per cent of new car registrations. The brands include Peugeot, Opel, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Honda, Jeep and DS Automobiles.
