Peugeot CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato says that the electric transition starts now.

In an interview for Autocar Imparato unveils the immediate electric plans of the French automaker. In the first half of this year, Peugeot Partner Electric will get a new version to compete with the Renault Kangoo ZE.

Currently this electric van is an outsourced product, produced by Mitsubishi and rebadged as a Peugeot. It has a 49 kW electric motor that comes from the Mitsubishi i-Miev and a 22,5 kWh battery (80 x 3,75 V x 75 Ah), which uses GS Yuasa LEV75 cells.

I’m curious to see if the new version will be built in-house or continues to be a rebadged vehicle. I hope that with the Opel Ampera-e, PSA learned the lesson that most of the times outsourcing key products is not a great strategy…

However, it’s next year when things will become interesting with the arrival of the electric supermini Peugeot 208 Electric. Because in Europe electric superminis make the most sense.

The Peugeot 208 Electric with a 115 HP electric motor, a 50 kWh battery, CCS fast charging capability and a 7 kW on-board charger in a supermini body, will position itself in the same segment as the Renault Zoe R110.

Anyway, the 88th Geneva International Motor Show this year will take place from 8rd to 18th March and it might give us more details about the electric cars that matter the most, the Renault Zoe R110 and the Peugeot 208 Electric. It was at the Geneva Motor Show 2015 where Renault unveiled the R240 powertrain…

More info:

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/peugeot-confident-suv-and-ev-push-after-strong-sales-results