French cars are returning to the United States, but it’s probably not how you hoped or expected.
Fortune reports that Carlos Tavares, CEO of France’s Groupe PSA, announced the company was partnering with Bollore Group to bring a car-sharing service to the US, starting with Los Angeles. This may be disappointing news for those hoping to purchase a new Peugeot and Citroen.
Back in April, Tavares announced plans to
bring French vehicles back to the US. It was speculated that PSA was working on a partnership with Bollore, which manufactures batteries and electric motors. In that announcement, Tavares said that the company was considering car-sharing and mobility services before it considered full retail sales. PSA hopes to generate more than $300 million in revenue from its new division by 2021.
No details on when the service will start or what sort of vehicle will be brought to the US, but, based on Bollore’s experience with batteries, expect electrification or hybridization of some kind.
Automotive News reports that the service may come under a all-new moniker instead of Peugeot, Citroen, or DS.
While Los Angeles will be the test bed for this new program, PSA said it is exploring other major cities as future markets. The company already runs an electric car-sharing service in Paris, so it’s not totally new ground for the automaker.
PSA isn’t the only manufacturer shifting it’s focus to car-sharing platforms. Ford announced last month that it plans to
bring an autonomous ride-sharing fleet to the market by 2021. In January, GM
purchased the assets of former ride-share company Sidecar. It seems pretty much all major automakers see a future in the ride-sharing business.
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