Stellantis has started small-scale production of the Peugeot e-208 at its plant near Zaragoza, according to Spanish media. The model was previously produced at the Trnava plant in Slovakia, but has now been moved to Zaragoza, where the Opel Corsa is also assembled.
In Spain, production will now start in small numbers before series production of the e-208 is scheduled to begin in September or October. According to Spanish media, the relocation took place because Trnava was allocated new models, resulting in the e-208 having to vacate the field. While the combustion version comes off the production line in Kenitra, Morocco, Stellantis chose Zaragoza as the new production site for the electric version. The Opel Corsa Electric, which is based on the same technology, is already manufactured there. The move comes just in time for the facelift of both models.
The e-208 was introduced in 2019, and Stellantis already gave the model its first update in 2021 and added more range. The latest update, including the switch to the new drive generation, is known from numerous Stellantis models: The 100 kW electric motor from Vitesco Technologies will be discarded and replaced by a 115 kW electric motor from the Stellantis-Nidec joint venture, and the 50 kWh battery will be increased to 54 kWh with a new generation of cells. In the new e-208, the new 115 kW variant manages up to 400 kilometres of range in the WLTP cycle.
Independently of the relocation of the model, the Spanish government is apparently also currently negotiating with Stellantis about the allocation of the STLA Small electric platform for the car company’s Spanish plants in Madrid, Vigo and Zaragoza. This is also reported by local media. By way of background: for passenger cars in the A, B and C segments, the second generation of the e-CMP platform will initially serve as a transitional solution until 2025, before the new STLA Small platform, which is to enable ranges of at least 500 kilometres for BEVs, is used from 2026.
Meanwhile, the French portal L’Argus reports that the new Lancia Ypsilon, including its purely electric version, will also be produced in Zaragoza in the future. According to Stellantis, the latter will be launched on the market in June 2024 and will adopt many stylistic elements of the Pu+Ra HPE concept.
forococheselectricos.com, latribunadeautomocion (both Peugeot e-208 in Spanish), largus.fr (Lancia Ypsilon, in French)
Keyword: Stellantis moves production of the Peugeot e-208 to Spain