PSA Group announces new range of 11 electric vehicles

PSA Group will launch 11 electric Citroën, Peugeot and DS vehicles in Europe within the next five years.

Four of these will be pure-electric models, with a range of up to 280 miles, with the remainder plug-in petrol-electric hybrids, which will be able to travel up to 37 miles on battery power alone.

The electric vehicle (EV) plans were detailed by PSA Group following an announcement that it is going to reduce the number of vehicle platforms it uses from six to two – both capable of running petrol, diesel and electrified powertrains.

PSA chairman of the managing board Carlos Tavares said: “We will use efficient modular platform (EMP2) for the top-of-the-range C- and D-segment cars and common modular platform (CMP) for B- and entry-level C-segment models.

“EMP2 will receive the plug-in hybrid technology, which will give the best of two worlds.

“You will have a 60km (37 miles) pure EV mode and because it’s a combination of electric power and internal combustion engine you have the ability for a lot more travel.

“Fuel consumption will, on average, be a 40% drop in  real-world conditions compared to petrol.”

The CMP-based models will be pure-electric. DS will be the first brand to receive the technology in 2019, with the launch of one plug-in hybrid and one fully-electric model.

By the end of 2021, there will be a total of four fully-electric and seven plug-in hybrids available across the three brands.

PSA Group analysis showed these powertrains were the most suitable for future transport needs and will phase out its diesel-electric hybrid powertrains when the new models are introduced.

Tavares added: “Our product strategy has been built to ensure that every year, in each region, we deliver one new Peugeot, one new Citroën and one new DS model.”

Technology highlights: plug-in hybrid versus pure electric

Pure-electric powertrain

The pure-electric cars will feature a 50kWh battery pack using lithium-ion technology, which weighs 300kg, and this will power a 115hp electric motor to give a range of up to 280 miles.

PSA Group will offer two charging solutions: ultra-fast charging which recharges 80% of the battery in 30 minutes – a range of up to 7.5 miles per minute of charging – and home charging via a 7kW onboard charger which will give a range of up to 62 miles in 90 minutes, or a full charge in eight hours.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles

Two-wheel drive plug-in hybrids will pair a petrol engine delivering 150hp to 200hp with a 107hp electric motor, while four-wheel drive versions will use a further 107hp motor to power the rear wheels.

Both versions will use a 12-13kWh battery to provide a battery-only range of up to 37 miles.

They will be available with a four-hour charging system as  well as an optional feature for recharging the battery in less than two hours.