PSA Group, parent company of Peugeot, Citroen and DS, is to develop a new electric powertrain.

The main electric powertrain components in France, signalling its determination to develop high-tech operations in profitable niche markets. The electric powertrain will be produced at the Trémery/Metz centre of excellence, while the gear systems will be manufactured at the Valenciennes plant.

PSA Group has also decided to fit its plug-in hybrid petrol vehicles with engines produced at the Française de Mécanique facility in Douvrin, France.

The Group will continue to develop next-generation internal combustion engines, both petrol and diesel.

To meet growing demand for petrol engines, PSA Group plans to double production in France, by 2019, of its 3-cylinder EB Turbo PureTech petrol engine, which in 2015 was named engine of the year in its category by an international jury.

The Douvrin and Trémery plants will produce 350,000 additional turbo petrol engines in 2018, lifting potential output to 670,000 units. As a result of these investments, Trémery is set to become the Group's most diversified engine plant, capable of manufacturing petrol, diesel and electric powertrains.

In addition, to increase its capacity to produce three-cylinder petrol engines and move production as close to consumers as possible, PSA Group will install an EB module at the Trnava, Slovakia plant in 2019. This will enable it to meet rising demand for petrol engines on entry-level vehicles. 

Gilles Le Borgne, Executive Vice-President, research and development said: “We will be launching an unprecedented technological offensive as part of the Push to Pass plan, to provide our customers with an attractive offering of sustainable mobility solutions and maintain our lead in terms of pollutant emissions reduction, with seven plug-in hybrids and four other new electric vehicles scheduled for launch by 2021, in addition to our flagship engine models.”