PSA's bet: plug-in hybrids, electric cars and associated services for everyone

Antonio Roncero @roncero_antonio 9 October 2020 10 min.

Through its brands Peugeot, Citroën, Opel and DS Automobiles, the PSA Group already offers 15 electrified models with the DGT’s ZERO emissions label.

The PSA Group is betting on electrification. And it does so with a bold move: across the group’s four brands, Peugeot, Citroën, Opel and DS Automobiles already have 15 electrified models on the market, ranging from plug-in hybrids to electric cars. And with a very busy launch schedule for next year.

But PSA has developed a whole ecosystem around electrification that goes beyond offering a broad range with options for practically every need. It also includes a series of associated services that are of great importance for those who decide to switch to electric mobility.

The group already set out its plans in 2019 to offer at least one electric or plug-in hybrid version in each of the models of all its brands by 2025. And the plans are moving along well. As a statement of intent for continuing with its commitment, PSA presented us with an interesting “Decalogue of electromobility”, during a day in which we were able to drive some of its models.

We summarise this decalogue point by point, with the most interesting aspects.

1 Electromobility as a sustainable mobility alternative

Concern for the environment is beginning to appear as a purchase motive when buying a new car, alongside design, price or performance. And the increase in the supply of electrified vehicles has meant that commitment to the environment is also showing in registrations.

In September, for example, sales of electric vehicles rose by more than 150% compared with the same month of 2019, while plug-in hybrids rose by 265%. Manufacturers need to lower the average CO2 emissions of their ranges, and offering this type of vehicle is the way to do it. In this respect, PSA is doing its homework well.

2 Electrification is compatible with performance and driving enjoyment

Advances in battery technology and in hybrid and electric propulsion systems now make it possible to offer models that can run with zero local emissions, without having to give up performance or sporty handling.

Quite the opposite. For example, plug-in hybrids show that using an electric motor as an “assist” for the combustion engine not only has great potential for reducing consumption. It also makes it possible to achieve performance equivalent to what could only be achieved with combustion engines with many cylinders and very large displacements.

In PSA’s case, 100% electric models such as the Peugeot e-208 and e-2008, the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense or the Opel Corsa e, have a 136 hp motor and ranges exceeding 300 km. Thanks to the instant torque delivery of electric motors, performance and driving enjoyment are guaranteed. We are talking about models capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in just 8 seconds, figures typical of a sports car.

In plug-in hybrids such as the DS 7 Crossback, the 3008 Hybrid and 508 Hybrid, the Opel Grandland X Hybrid or the C5 Hybrid, the 2WD versions reach 225 hp, and 300 hp in the 4WD; the soon-to-arrive DS 9 E-Tense will go up to 360 hp. In all cases we are talking about power outputs that guarantee outstanding dynamic qualities.

3 Factories in Spain: pioneers in electrification

The end buyer and user, more concerned with aspects such as the car’s price, range, etc., may not care much where it is manufactured. But PSA’s commitment is there: the PSA Group is the only one that manufactures 100% electric passenger cars in Spain. What’s more: in Vigo, batteries are also already assembled, and from 2021 they will also be assembled in Zaragoza.

Currently, the Zaragoza plant manufactures the Opel Corsa-e, the Peugeot e-2008 is produced at the Vigo plant and the Citroën e-C4 comes off the Villaverde plant in Madrid. The so-called “CMP flexible multi-energy platform” allows versions with petrol, diesel or 100% electric engines of each model to be manufactured on the same assembly line, adapting to demand.

4 Accessible electrification: electric cars are not so expensive

For the PSA Group brands it is important that the user considers the total cost of ownership when considering an electrified vehicle. The reason is clear: on paper, an electric car or a plug-in hybrid, because of the technology they carry, may be more expensive than an equivalent car with a combustion engine. But when taking into account not only the purchase cost but also the cost of use, electrified cars become more competitive.

As for price, it should be considered that the Moves Plan or the Renove Plan allow access to purchase incentives that can reach 5,500 euros for electric cars, or up to 2,600 euros for a plug-in hybrid. This means that a Opel Corsa-e can be had from 22,500 euros. Or a DS 7 Crossback E-TENSE from 41,000 euros, for example.

As for running costs, the lower maintenance cost of an electric car, and the energy consumption savings of an electric or plug-in hybrid, make the cost of ownership more competitive, offsetting the higher initial outlay. By way of example, with the rates of renting companies and the group’s own finance companies, a DS 7 Crossback E-TENSE of 225 hp has a monthly instalment 7% lower than a DS 7 Crossback Blue HDI of 180 hp.

And to this must be added the fact that electrified cars retain a higher resale value for longer. There are studies by Germany’s ADAC that speak of up to 10 points more than a combustion-engined car after 3 years or 75,000 km.

5 Added advantages: access and parking in major cities

Having the DGT’s ZERO emissions label, PSA’s electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, which offer EV-mode ranges of over 40 km, enjoy a whole series of advantages that are becoming increasingly important: free access to city centres in restricted zones, the ability to drive even on high-pollution days, tax advantages, free parking in regulated parking zones, use of the BUS VAO lane…

And these do not seem likely to disappear. Everything points to more and more cities and municipalities introducing specific traffic zones for low-emission vehicles.

The options currently offered by PSA are very broad in this respect. No fewer than 12 electrified models with the ZERO label, among hybrids and plug-in hybrids:

PSA plug-in hybrid models

PSA electric models

To these we should add the Peugeot e-Expert, Citroën e-Jumpy and Opel Vivaro-e vans, which have their corresponding passenger versions, the Peugeot e-Traveller, Citroën e-SpaceTourer and Opel Zafira e-Life.

6 Doubts? Try it for a year with the option to change

Carsharing, long-term renting, daily rental… Thanks to the various solutions from Free2Move and its app, the PSA Group offers a series of mobility services that let you experience electric mobility before deciding to buy.

The range of options is very broad, from per-minute rental with Emov by Free2Move; by day or month with Free2Move Rent or by year with Free2Move Lease. Currently, about 40% of customers who opt for an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle do so under the renting arrangement. With Free2Move Lease or Rent, the vehicle can be returned at the end of the contract.

7 Range: not just for everyday use

The range offered by PSA’s electric vehicles, which use a 50 kW lithium-ion battery, is between 320 and 350 km depending on the model. This makes them mobility alternatives beyond the city. Especially with the backing of fast-charging compatibility, which allows 80% of the battery charge to be recovered in 30 minutes.

In the case of plug-in hybrids, the range reaches up to 59 km in the WLTP cycle. This makes it possible to drive in electric mode every day on much of the usual journeys, with consumption up to 6 times lower than equivalent vehicles with combustion engines.

During the day we were able to do a mainly urban route with some interurban roads in a Peugeot e-208 and a Citroën DS 7 Crossback E-Tense. The average consumption of all the participants in both cases yielded figures even lower than the homologated consumption for each.

As for charging times, electric models can recharge 100% of the battery in about 16 hours from a domestic socket, in 8 hours at a wallbox and in just over 5 hours with a three-phase 11 kW charging point. In PHEVs, with smaller-capacity batteries, home charging takes less than two hours with a 7.4 kW wallbox.

8 The electric driving experience

This point could be merged with the second, in which PSA argues that electrification is not at odds with sporty performance. But here it is about more than the pleasant sensation of acceleration conveyed by an electrified car, thanks to the ability of electric motors to deliver their maximum torque from zero revs.

The electric driving experience includes everything related to knowing that you are driving without emitting polluting gases. And with no noise, with a total absence of vibrations, smells or exhaust fumes.

9 Connected services

The ability to connect a vehicle to the user’s mobile phone opens up a world of options that are especially important in electrified cars.

For example, in PSA’s case, its Free2Move Services app gives access to a public charging network across Europe of more than 130,000 points. The route planner lets you prepare the journey, taking charging stations into account if necessary.

And through the brand-specific apps (MyPeugeot, MyCitroën, MyDS and MyOpel), you can interact with the car using geolocation services, check the battery charge remotely, or schedule charging to take advantage of cheaper rates, as well as pre-conditioning the vehicle so it is ready before departure time.

10 Dealerships prepared for electrification

Although the owner of an electric car will visit the workshop less often, PSA has prepared its dealership network to offer charging solutions, including personalised diagnosis and even installation.

In addition, the sales network already includes 2,000 charging points in the dealerships’ operational areas, and the sales and technical teams have received the training needed to resolve any customer questions or problems.

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