Automotive News Europe - December 2019 - S31

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE

TALK FROM THE TOP

midsize segments. Will you be expanding it?
In our global vision, in Europe we are
focusing on electrifying the brand. But
we need to increase our sales outside
of Europe to better balance our regional
mix. One thing we are doing is focusing
on our light-commercial vehicle lineup,
including our coming 1-ton pickup.

electric and internal combustion [the 100
hp gasoline version with an automatic
transmission], because electricity is less
expensive than fuel, and the maintenance
costs are lower. We can make money on
electric cars if the level of incentives for
electric is consistent with the difference
The new 208, especially the electric between electric and internal combustion.
version, is a very important car for Right now in Europe, there are 6,000-euro
Peugeot. What kind of order volume [purchase] incentives in France, Germany
have you seen?
and the Netherlands, for example. If that
We launched the car in October in France. changes I will have to pull other levers, but
We had 12,000 orders in just one coun- I will never sell a car that loses money.
try; 52 percent were in the upper two
trim levels [for models with a traditional Peugeot is also introducing an elecpowertrain], and 12 percent were for the tric version of the new 2008 small
electric version. I'm targeting around SUV. Did you consider a plug-in hy10 percent electric -- and those aren't pre- brid instead?
orders. They are real orders. I don't know We considered that, but the usage of the
what the global mix will be, but if we are 208 and 2008 are very similar. We have
around 4 percent to 5 percent electric in a found that it's 70 percent urban driving.
country such as Italy, it will really help our Peugeot is also rolling out plug-in hyemissions average in Europe. Something brid versions of the 3008 compact
is clearly changing -- lots of customers are SUV and the 508 midsize car early
now asking for electric.
next year. What are your targets?
regulations come in, probably in 2024,
we will let our customers choose their
powertrain, whether it be gasoline, diesel or electric. After Euro 7, I think the
diesel will die off, but if demand is still
there, we will be there.

The pickup is being developed with your
joint venture partner in China, Dongfeng. What is the status of that project?
We will launch the pickup next year. I
don't know what kind of volumes it will
generate. I'm very conservative about
that, therefore, we aren't saying that we
will take 5 percent of the 6 million worldwide pickup market. We are focusing on
matching our competitors' features and
reliability. The truck must be unstoppable. We won't launch it, however, until the global ecosystem, such as spare
parts, is ready, because it must be able
to be maintained anywhere in the world,
for example in Africa.
How do electric vehicles fit into your
revenue mix?
What is your regional revenue mix?
First,
the residual value of an e-208 is
In 2018, before we lost Iran [because
2,500
euros more than an internal comof sanctions], we were at 50-50 Europe
and rest of the world. Turkey and Ar- bustion one. That's because the energy
gentina were down last year so we are mix of the market will be changing in the
now at 60-40 or 65-35. To protect my next several years.
country mix, I need to be stronger in the What is the cost difference for buyers?
maximum number of countries.
In terms of total cost of ownership, in
How important is North America in France it's 326 euros a month for both
building up revenue outside of Europe?
We don't have any profit-loss effect at
this point. We are preparing the project
[targeting sales there by 2026]. Next
year we can be more precise on what
type of product we could have.

I'm targeting 15 percent to 20 percent
of total orders, based on a similar TCO
between the plug-in hybrid and a 180hp diesel with an automatic transmission. Those two versions will compete
in the fleet market. Fleet managers are
now building their budgets for next year.
We are working with them, and we will
see the fleet profile at the beginning of
2020, but I think it's credible to expect
ANE
this level of mix.

Will the next 308 be on PSA's EMP2
platform for compact and midsize
cars, and will it have an electric or
plug-in hybrid option?
Yes, it will be on the EMP2 platform. It
will be a plug-in hybrid first, but could
perhaps later have a full-electric drivetrain. Our compact and midsize cars will
have plug-in hybrid drivetrains because
it's a smoother way to switch from internal combustion to electric.
What is your diesel mix today?
It was 43 percent last year and we are at
41 percent now. Until Euro 7 emissions

2019

In Partnership with

Imparato said that the Peugeot 508 Sport Engineered sends the
message that "we don't want the future to be boring."

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Automotive News Europe - December 2019

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