Groupe PSA re-affirmed its UK electrification strategy at the Automotive EV Conference, held in Coventry on 8 October.

Helen Lees, UK head of electric vehicles and connected services for Groupe PSA (www.groupe-psa.com), discussed the brand’s electrification strategy, the future of the EV sector in the automotive industry, and the investment and market potential.

She highlighted the progress of the group’s developments in internal combustion engine (ICE), battery electric vehicle (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technologies, as well as supplementary electric services and the Free2Move mobility and car-sharing services.

That said, Groupe PSA acknowledged that no single manufacturer could bring about market change.

Ms Lees said: “While earlier adopters have been prepared to accept some compromises in order to appeal to the mass market, there needs to be stronger and more long-term consumer incentives, improved infrastructure with improved information on accessibility, and a solid consumer understanding of both the terminology and the total costs of ownership.

"Through its trade body SMMT, Groupe PSA is working collaboratively with other OEMs and Government on the support packages needed to bring about mass market change.

“Groupe PSA aims to be one of the major European players in electrified mobility, and its electrification strategy starts with all models launched from 2019 onwards being made available with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or battery electric (BEV) derivative, in addition to petrol and diesel combustion engines.

This strategy has been devised to give consumers the flexibility to choose their desired model and then the powertrain most relevant to them.

By 2025, every model sold by Groupe PSA — both car and LCV — will have an electrified version.”

In just two years, 15 new electrified vehicles will be launched across all brands in the Groupe PSA portfolio.

These include various passenger cars that are already available to order. Groupe PSA says the extensive deployment of its electrification strategy has been made possible thanks to the engineering of Groupe its CMP and EMP2 platforms, which can take both electrified and ICE powertrains with no intrusion into the vehicle’s interior space.