Peugeot is being a little bit mysterious about its new concept, called the Inception. We can only assume that, right now, deep within Peugeot's design studio, a crack team of dream engineers led by Leonardo DiCaprio are hacking into people's minds and giving them ideas which, in due course, they will assume were theirs all along...
Not on the Peugeot stand in Paris
Or possibly not; it's hard to know. We'd half-expected the Inception concept to be at the Paris Motor Show today, but there's a large hole in Peugeot's stand where it should be (or, more accurately, a total lack of hole where it never was).
What we do know (and this is the part where we do the Leo-Squinty-Eyes look) is that the Inception will be a look at how Peugeot's styling language will evolve, especially where fully-electric cars are concerned. Indeed, the Inception will be a preview of how Peugeot's electric-only cars will look - until now, all of Peugeot's battery cars have been electrified versions of combustion-engined models.
100 per cent electric by 2030
"2023 will be Peugeot's electric year: As early as 2023, we will offer an electrified version of every Peugeot model. But we are also looking far beyond that", said Linda Jackson, Peugeot CEO, at the Paris Motor Show. "We will also continue to rapidly electrify our range and will launch no less than five full electric models within the next two years. This means that Peugeot will already have a 100 per cent electric offer for all models in 2025. At the same time, we are preparing the launches of Peugeot's next generation of e-native models - based on new platforms designed for pure electric vehicles. This is what will be demonstrated by the Peugeot Inception Concept that we will reveal in the weeks to come. Its name says it all: the Peugeot Inception Concept will open the new 100 per cent electric era for the Peugeot Brand with a promise: As early as 2030, 100 per cent of the Peugeot models sold in Europe will be 100 per cent electric."
More EVs and hybrids to follow in 2023
Peugeot is already seeing major success with its electric models. The e-208 and e-2008 are the first and second best-selling EV models across Europe this year, and the 308 and 308 SW estate will get fully-electric versions, boasting a 400km one-charge range, next year. The e-208 and e-2008 will also get some updates, including a new battery which should push their ranges up to around 400km as well.
In 2023, Peugeot will also launch its first non-plug-in hybrids, based on the 3008 and 5008 SUVs, and it will launch the new, sleek 408 crossover, which will come initially as a plug-in hybrid but which will also get its own fully-electric version in due course.