With Vauxhall, Opel, Peugeot, Citroën, and DS Automobiles all under one roof, PSA is pooling its strengths and creating synergies to maximize the brands’ potential.

Automakers would find it nearly impossible to meet Chinese standards without including some electrified vehicles in their portfolios. Beijing announced in April it would allow 100% foreign ownership of companies producing EVs.

“Battery price has since fallen to one-fourth of that (2009) level and will go down further,” Mitsubishi CEO Osamu Masuko predicts. “So we really can’t evaluate the marketplace with existing technology, because the technology is going to change in...

The new CUV, boasting a range of 236 miles in its high-capacity version and 149 miles in a lower-capacity model, offers a high level of safety features and in-car technologies.

Office of Industrial Economics Director-General Siriruj Chulakaratana says electric vehicles are poised to drive the local automotive industry because retail EV pricing and technology costs are expected to decline.

With the automaker’s focus on premium brands comes a broad emphasis on electrification, including four full battery electrics by 2022.