*This content was translated by AI.
It has emerged that Stellantis is pursuing a strategy to reduce battery capacity for its plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Reducing the battery capacity of PHEVs shortens their all-electric driving range but allows for lower prices.
Stellantis's new initiative can be confirmed through recently spotted Peugeot 5008 plug-in hybrid test cars in southern Europe. These vehicles are equipped with a 13kWh battery. The current model features an available capacity of 17.8kWh NMC batteries, enabling approximately 80km of all-electric driving under WLTP standards; the new specification installed in the test car reduces capacity by about 27% compared to the previous version.
As a result, the all-electric range is expected to drop to around 45–50km. Instead, Stellantis aims to create relatively affordable entry-level PHEVs by lowering battery costs and vehicle prices. This strategy follows European criteria for PHEV subsidy disbursement; based on Peugeot's sales performance in Europe, the company believes that combining subsidies and promotions will enable it to compete with Chinese-made PHEVs.
However, unlike Chinese manufacturers such as BYD that emphasize all-electric ranges exceeding 100km, Stellantis has opted for a strategy of equipping vehicles with batteries sufficient only for daily commuting by electricity to enhance price competitiveness. It remains to be seen whether this strategy will succeed in countries outside Europe.
Peugeot plans to expand the 13kWh-class PHEV system beyond the 5008th to other passenger models starting in 2027. Earlier, Peugeot defined its own six-level electrification scale for powertrains in the first half of 2025, demonstrating highly segmented standards. At the center of this initiative is Ridouan Habani, an electrified powertrain system designer. The same applies to the mild hybrid system named "Smart Hybrid" by Stellantis Korea in South Korea. It will be closely watched what results emerge from this low-capacity battery PHEV testing.
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*This content was translated by AI.
