Although Peugeot would like to sell a car like the RCZ coupé, its low-set proportions aren’t viable with the brand’s existing EV platforms and technology.
The design hinges on the use of thin, energy-dense solid-state batteries that can be recharged in little more time than it takes to refuel an ICE car, and these aren’t yet on the market.
Favey said: “That’s a wish list. That’s what we need, and even if it’s five years or six years, that’s what we need one day. The e-T16 is a completely different story.”
Favey also ruled out the prospect of building a new entry-level model in the vein of the old 108 city car: “We have no plan to go down [market] to what the other brands do very well, like with the [new] Citroën 2CV. We have no plan for going down in terms of pricing but rather up and offering more value and more design for the future.”
This, he said, will remove Peugeot from competition with the value-led Chinese brands that have already taken significant market share from some of Europe’s biggest players.
Favey explained: “It’s a way for us to respond to competitors like the Chinese competition, who play a lot on pricing. We know we’re not going to win the war on pricing. That’s clear for millions of reasons. You know very well this is not a war we can win.
“But we are actually winning the commercial war. Being clear on design, on technology, on innovation, that’s where we are at home, with sporty cars.
“We have a heritage we need to refer to to remind people: if they want this heritage to continue for the next 200 years, maybe they should buy a car that is contributing to this heritage here in Europe, contributing to the European economy, to the European employment.
“That’s a message to say as well. If you want this heritage to be there in 20 years’ time, maybe it should be a part of your buying process, to think what brand you’re buying and whether it contributes to the European economy.”
