There are many theories about the failure of electrical power as a means of propulsion for automobiles. Furthermore, the first car was electric and was developed by Robert Anderson between 1832 and 1839. Three decades later the first vehicle powered by a heat engine appeared, with clear advantages in autonomy and functionality. The investigation did not stop and it managed to face the inconveniences of zero-emission mobility thanks to the assembly of rechargeable batteries. In 1900 some London taxis did not emit a single gram of CO2 so the doubts are logical: Why was the electric car not successful? Some speak of plots, lobbies and industrial interests of countries with an interest in fossil fuels. Most likely, despite the urban utility of models like the Peugeot VLV, the needs of a rapidly expanding society were not met by vehicles with limited autonomy.
As you have read, Peugeot was one of the leading agents of clean mobility in the last century. Electric propulsion fueled projects within the company in 1902, primarily focused on delivery vehicles . The first unit was marketed in 1941 and was called the VLV (Light City Vehicle). They were really useful during WWII and fuel shortages but their production ended in 1943 . Fortunately, the seed of innovation was planted in the guts of Peugeot and electrification never disappeared from its offices. In the 70s and 80s the firm presented various electrical prototypes thanks to the collaboration with other companies.
These exhibition models gave way to a program for electric Peugeot 106s , an operation called “50 electric vehicles in La Rochelle”. The attempts did not stop there and the concept cars continued to appear. Prototypes such as the ION (1994), the BB1 (2009) or the EX1 (2010) have been seen in salons around the world, all of them electric and carrying cutting-edge technology. A path of innovation that has allowed them to face the great challenge of the automotive industry of the 21st century: the drastic reduction of emissions. The Lion range will be 50% electrified this 2020 and 100% of its models will present an ECO variant by 2025 .
