7:40 am, September 23, 2024
Peugeot’s UK boss has challenged the brand’s rivals to a ‘competition’ as he backed the French outfit to increase its market share in the coming years.
Eurig Druce says that Peugeot is ready for a ‘race’ when it comes to EV sales, with the brand boosting its electric line-up significantly in recent times.
The new UK managing director made the comments at the launch of the new E-5008 and 5008, where he also backed the controversial ZEV mandate.
Speaking to Car Dealer, he said he was feeling ‘confident’ about Peugeot’s future and warned the new Labour government about watering down its targets when it comes to the switch to electric motoring.
He said: ‘I feel confident that we have the product range and therefore I want the race and I feel quite confident that our position in that race will be stronger than our position in existing markets.
‘I’m not in favour of rolling back targets or changing the rules, I’m in favour of saying “let’s have a competition and if you haven’t prepared for it, that’s your issue”.’
Labour is currently planning on reinstating the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars, although hybrids are set to remain on sale until 2035.
You can read what the automotive industry made of that news here.
Stellantis brands have ‘huge culture differences’
Druce’s comments on the ZEV mandate would appear to be at odds with other senior figures at Stellantis, who have been less enthusiastic in recent times.
Back in July, UK Group managing director Maria Grazia Davino said Stellantis will categorically not be paying fines which could lead to her taking petrol and diesel cars off sale.
That came after boss, Carlos Tavares threatened to slash Stellantis’s UK presence in response to the ‘terrible’ regulations.
Druce, who recently returned to Peugeot after six years at Citroen, said that cultures do vary between the Stellantis brands.
However, he says that this is a good thing as it allows them to appeal to different parts of the market.
He told Car Dealer: ‘There are loads of differences, the fact that I’ve come from Peugeot when you go back in time. I started as a trainee back in 2001 and they’re two very distinct brands.
‘What is striking I think is those two manufacturers [Peugeot and Citroen] were the first of the Stellantis family to be together.
‘I made the switch from Peugeot to Citroen in 2015 and the culture differences between the two is huge.
‘That’s really important as well because we are an engineering company that are producing cars, but brands are what makes the difference in what people want to buy and for what Peugeot and Citroen stand for are completely different things and I’ve been lucky enough to work with both firms.’
