Peugeot pushes retailers into EV upgrade
20 February 2019
Peugeot retailers have until the end of the year to invest in electric chargers or face losing the franchise. The national sales company estimates a maximum spend of £40,000 which can be financed through a loan from the manufacturer with a repayment holiday until the cars come fully on stream.
David Peel, Peugeot UK managing director, said: “Moving to a new EV world is not optional if you’re a Peugeot dealer; there is no future for any of our dealers who don’t want to participate in EVs.”
Dismissing talk of upgrades to substations costing upward of £90,000, he said: “We’re working with energy supplier Engie. For the 7kW chargers needed for our vehicles we estimate that for the majority of dealers the investment will a maximum of £40k. And we’ve recognised that we’re asking dealers to do this before they have cars available to generate an income to cover those costs, so for everyone using Engie as their supplier we will provide a funding line through our bank.”
Multi-franchise retailers are not obliged to fit Peugeot-specific chargers so long as they meet its standards.