Peugeot Plans Return To US With Electric Cars After 30 Years

Groupe PSA will return its iconic brand, Peugeot, to the United States and Canada by 2026 at the latest. It also owns the Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall marques.

Groupe PSA, the world’s ninth largest automotive group, has set in motion its plans to return to North America. It now operates several mobility services ventures in the U.S. to get a better feel for the market and its nuances. Peugeot quit the U.S. in the 1990s during the severe car industry downturn of that time.

Industry analysts expect Peugeot to introduce only its electric cars and hybrid cars on its return to the U.S. Most of Peugeot’s major competitors have announced plans to develop hybrids, plug-ins and pure battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). Volkswagen AG plans to have more than 50 different BEVs, as well as dozens of hybrids on sale by 2025.

Peugeot’s current stable of battery vehicles consist of the Peugeot iOn small electric car for urban travel. There’s also the L500 R HYbrid and the 308 R HYbrid. Peugeot claims the environmentally-friendly diesel hybrid cars deliver high fuel efficiency and low emissions.

Groupe PSA had been exploring which of its various marques will spearhead its return and decided this will be its flagship Peugeot.

“This is another step in a multi-step return to the market,” said Larry Dominique, Groupe PSA North America CEO.

Dominique said the exact timing to relaunch Peugeot in the U.S. hasn’t been determined. He said this might extend to 2026 though it will more likely occur sooner.

“This is not about speed. It’s about getting things right,” said Dominique. “The good news for us is PSA is not dependent on me to sell a single car. The idea is to build the brand the right way.”

Groupe PSA sold 4.1 million vehicles in 2018, a 3.8 percent drop from 2017, according to the Global Auto Database.

It first hinted at returning to the U.S. in April 2016 with an announcement it will begin this decade-long effort with a push into mobility services. The group said it might take several more years to determine which of the various group car brands will re-launched in North America. Several mobility service ventures are already in operation such as the Free2Move Carsharing service in Washington, D.C.