PSA Peugeot Citroen and General Electric are leveraging their expertise to promote electronic vehicle mobility in Europe. These industrial giants initiated a partnership last week that focuses on providing EV solutions to corporate clients. This collaboration covers the entire transportation cycle from vehicle leasing and maintenance to charging infrastructure. A focus on corporate fleet customers allows Peugeot Citroen and GE to create reliable markets for their EV solutions prior to mass-market releases. Within the next decade, the Peugeot Citroen/GE partnership could yield a streamlined structure for EV adoption used throughout the world.
GE will use subsidiaries in Europe to handle EV leasing and infrastructure for corporate clients. GE Capital is the leading leaser of corporate vehicles around the world with 1.6 million vehicles leased worldwide and 250,000 leases in Europe. Leasing offices in 10 European nations from Portugal to Germany would handle corporate leases for EVs produced by Peugeot Citroen. GE Industrial Solutions is currently working on plug-in chargers and other devices necessary for a fully functioning EV infrastructure in Europe. This research and development program could yield an all-encompassing lease package including vehicle, maintenance services and charging unit.
PSA Peugeot Citroen is focused on expanding plug-in vehicle production to meet the demands of this partnership. The French auto giant sold 3.6 million vehicles throughout the world in 2010 with annual revenues of $76.5 billion. Designers at Peugeot and Citroen have created electric vehicles since 1995 though few have reached market. The automaker is currently touting the diesel-hybrid Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 as the cutting edge of its fleet. Design teams must shift their focus from hybrid vehicles to EVs in order to keep up their side of the partnership. PSA Peugeot Citroen is receiving a boost with a proposed order by GE of 1,000 all-electric vehicles per year through 2015.
An important component of this partnership is the EV Customer Experience Center proposed by GE. This clearinghouse will be located in France and create educational programs to inform the public about the benefits of EVs. GE and PSA Peugeot Citroen understand that corporate fleet clients represent the first wave of consumers for green vehicles. The EV Customer Experience Center would prepare the public for charging stations and zero-emissions vehicles as corporate fleets act as test audiences.
