Is AdBlue*, which is used in the truck segment, a good way to reduce emissions?
Building diesel engines and reducing harmful nitrogen oxides through AdBlue is a process that we believe to be too costly at the present time. It entails a number of difficulties because it requires an extra tank and involves greater complexity surrounding the engine.

The future for Peugeot and electric vehicles?
We already have solid experience in electric motors in vehicles. We have great confidence in the electric vehicle market, primarily in large cities where driving distances are often shorter. One challenge here is to manage to produce enough electric vehicles to create economies of scale. Producing 200-300 electric vehicles is easy - the challenge is to reach mass production levels. At Peugeot, we collaborate with companies like Citroën for electric vehicles and with BMW for purchasing, components and R&D for hybrids. Two other areas in electric vehicles that we work intensively with are quality-assuring reliability and electric vehicle safety. The batteries and electric motors in these vehicles generate new problem areas that must be solved. The big OEMs today have good solutions for these safety and reliability problems, in comparison with others such as the smaller Asian manufacturers.

Is induction a good way to charge electric vehicles?
This is a track we are following right now at Peugeot. We've tested inductive charging on about 20 demo vehicles, but so far the charging efficiency has been poor. The cars must be positioned very precisely for the charging to be effective.

How is Europe keeping up in electric vehicle development? Have we lost ground?
I wouldn't say that we are lagging behind in Europe. But to keep our competitive edge, it is important that we have our own battery production in Europe. This increases availability and brings together necessary expertise in this area. The expertise is here and it is important that we keep it here.

What is the attitude of French politicians on electric cars?
In France, politicians have said that the country is to be a leader in electric vehicle development, so this policy is given enormous focus. At Peugeot, we work with the French Ministry to develop and implement good solutions in safety, controls and infrastructure. Infrastructure in particular is a crucial issue and it would be a nightmare if different countries introduced different systems. It is important that Europe decides on a common standard for infrastructure.

Your view on the future of transportation?
I think the future will see different transportation systems being combined in new ways and thereby creating new forms of mobility.

 
* AdBlue is the brand name for a diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) solution containing urea that is increasingly used in modern diesel engines to reduce emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides to levels below the steadily decreasing levels stipulated in legislation for emissions from vehicles and motors. Despite its name, the product is colorless and requires its own tank on vehicles that use AdBlue. AdBlue is injected into the engine exhaust system upstream of the SCRsystem. The urea at these temperatures is then broken down to ammonia NH3, which in turn reduces a sufficient amount of nitrogen oxides in the exhaust to harmless water and hydrogen in the SCR system. - Source: Wikipedia