PSA Peugeot Citroën Planning A Return To U.S. Market

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After being gone from the U.S. market for some 25 years, PSA Peugeot Citroën recently announced they are that they planning a return to America. PSA says it will take about ten years for them to fully implement their three-stage plan, dubbed "Push to Pass," which is set to begin next year. But if all goes well, there could once again be a French presence in the American car market.

Citroën pulled out of the American market in 1974, while Peugeot followed in 1991. But now, "Push to Pass" will mark their return to the U.S.  Phase one of this three-phase plan calls for PSA to enter the U.S. as a "mobility provider," per PSA CEO Carlos Tavares. This simply means that they will integrate vehicles into car-sharing services, such as JustShareIt and Zipcar. This could begin as early as 2017.

Tavares said that the "mobility provider" step will most likely involve Bolloré Group, a French diversified group that builds batteries, as well as compact electric cars. Their vehicles are predominantly used by the French car-sharing program, Autolib. One of these electric cars is expected to be used to reintroduce the PSA brands back to the North American market.

Should this first step prove successful, phase two is to bring actual Peugeot, Citroën, and/or DS-branded cars to America. These vehicles would be integrated into the same car-sharing programs as the Bolloré electric car so that PSA can, according to Tavares, "ensure that our own cars are meeting the expectations of the local consumers."

Then, if the public responds well to PSA's product, the final step is for the automakers to set up dealership networks and bring their cars to the U.S. for public sale. PSA's DS premium brand is expected to be the focus, as the luxury segment is currently dominated by German manufacturers.

 

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