Thierry Koskas is a key figure in the automotive industry, especially in the context of electrification and sustainable mobility. Since February 2023, he held the position of CEO of Citroën.
Its objective is to promote Citroën’s transition to a more electric brand and focused on the needs of customers. Coinciding with the international presentation of the new brand models, the renewed C4 and C4 X and the new C3 Aircross, the manager explained in an interview with ABC what is the current market situation, how to face the current uncertainties and the challenge of electrification.
According to Koskas, Citroën is working to consolidate its position in the electric vehicle market and offer an increasingly wide and competitive range of products. The brand faces challenges, but also to great opportunities in a market in constant evolution.
You will continue to expand its range of electric vehicles with new models such as C3 Aircross and C5 Aircross.
– In Brussels the brand reported, after the presentation of its new C3, that 40% of the model sales corresponded to the electric version. How is this data interpreted taking into account that the European average sales of electric models is 15%?
Obviously there is a lot of difference between countries. In Spain we are now aware of the new government plan, and the percentage of electric cars is a bit low at the moment, but well, the truth is that we have to do yes or yes a growth of electrical sales because we have to Comply with the objective of the brand around 20% of our sales as electric in private vehicles.
The C3 will contribute a lot to this. I do not know if we are going to 40% but it seems that we are on the right track to have a high rate of the electric C3. We are not yet at 20% in the Global Sales of the AMRCA because we simply lack a product, because the C3 Aircross is arriving within a month, and later this year the new C5 Aurcross will arrive. At the moment we only make electric with C4, C3 and obviously the Berlingo, but we do not have the full range. When we have the full range we will be 20%.
– What opinion do you have about this that is happening in Spain, where from one day to another the aids of the MOVES Plan for the purchase of electric cars have disappeared?
I hope the new plan arrives as soon as possible. It is super simple. I can understand that each country and each government work on an annual fee, but what we need is a new plan, of course, and as soon as possible. It seems essential.
There is no reason why Spain cannot grow in sales of electric vehicles, not with the same rate as other countries in northern Europe, because the context is different, but there is also an opportunity and to get 20% at the level European we need the contribution made by Spain
For Citroën, important Spain, and the conditions are obviously offering accessible electric cars for customers, we do it with C3 and with the C3 Aircross, but we also need an incentive plan, of course, and other conditions such as load points.
– The European Union is in the process of reflection to see what is done with the possible fines for CO2 emissions and limits, as well as the possible review of the end of the end of the sale of cars with fossil fuels. What would you like?
Well, we will see, anyway, anything that can be decided, we will fulfill it, because there is no way not to comply with the regulation, we will not pay fines, of course. Regarding European norms I do not believe that there are many changes in 2025, because we are in the year, we will see, what can happen later is what happens in the following years, 2030, 2035. Frankly, I do not want to do fiction policy or say Anything, we will see what is being discussed and whatever we will apply.
– After the C3 Aircross that we are now testing, this year comes the C5 Aircross. Is it more difficult to sell electric as the car is bigger and more expensive?
Yes, that’s why we have a higher percentage in C3, because it seems super adapted at the electric level, however, the C3 Aircross also thinks that it can sell very well as an electric. First we will offer it with autonomy of 300 kilometers and will later 400 kilometers, that is, this will help a lot. And with the C5 Aircross, let’s not forget that we are going to have a “long rage” version with 680 kilometers of autonomy, which already allows you to go more or less anywhere. I use my electric C4 every day, and once you get used to it, it is frankly something super super easy, but it is true that I have to recognize that in France we have a super super developed load, which works super good. Actually there is no reason why any country did not do the same.
– Stellantis has already clarified the future of the plants of Vigo and Zaragoza, which will have a new CMP platform. What do we expect from the future of the Villaverde plant?
We are also working to ensure the future of the Villaverde plant in Madrid. In the first place, the life of the C4 does not end, it is something super important and after this model other products will arrive, we are working. Frankly, if I can swim the life of the C4, I would do it because it is a car that sells super good, now we refresh the design and frankly the car has a great future. After updating the C4 the model has 3-4 years more of travel, until 2028-29, so I imagine in a year, a maximum of two years a decision can be made known.
This plant does a frankly spectacular job at the level of production quality, super good, we are super super happy and there is also flexibility. Every time we ask for something from the Madrid plant they are doing it.
– The group has reorganized almost all of the managerial positions of its brands, less Citroën, do you see yourself as a strong man inside the brand and you would like to aspire to that position that is looking for a new CEO?
No, I am not a candidate, but I see my continuity more as a brand of trust in the work we did or that we are doing at the Citroën level. Now we have a frankly strong team in Europe with Laurent and in Spain with Nuno Coutinho. As for the results in 2024 we suffered a little because obviously there was a hole in the production of C3, we finished the old in June and the new one only had it in October, so it was complicated and the C3 Airtcross is not yet in production , that is, it is coming, so it was a difficult time. At that complicated moment we managed to make a result, say, honorable or acceptable. We almost kept the market share in Europe, we made 3.4 with respect to 3.5 in 2023, that is, we almost did not move and that’s why I am super happy. That’s why I think we had no change at the Citroën brand level, but I am not a candidate for CEO.
– After some image problems with Puretech and AD Blue engines, how are you going to recover the brand image?
I recognize the quality problems we had, but what matters most is to make a change and show the change. To deal with the problems of Puretech engines, we have changed technology and others, as I understand at the same time that there are many clients that are scared, we have introduced the 8 years of guarantee. A decision that was initially a request from Citroën Spain and that we have extended to all of Europe and for all private, electrical, thermal, hybrid and others, so it is a satisfaction.
Then about software problems, it was only on the first 6,000 cars that we delivered to customers in France, for the topic we had a date to deliver cars in September, but we are modernizing all these cars, that is, now they have now The new software. With all the other releases that Stellantis made we are at the best level of quality and customer complaints, that is, if I can accept that in the first 6,000 cars there were problems that we are correcting, but after these 6,000 cars the level of quality The car is at the best level of what Stellantis knows how to do. And obviously we will not have the same problem with the C3 Aircross, because now we are very sure about the software level we have.
It is super important for us that all the releases that we are going to have in the future do them at a perfect quality level. And it will be particularly the case with the C5 Aircross, because it is the flagship of the brand, so we have to give yes or have an absolutely perfect quality level.
I don’t know if you can tell us the production capacity you have of C3 and C3 Aircross in the factory. We have to produce many, many cars. He is now working on three teams and there will be a fourth team in the weeks, so we will adapt to the demand.
– What upcoming Citroën models will arrive?
Our offer focuses on segment B, starting with C3, and segment C rises with the C5 Aircross. There are many opportunities to make other models, other forms, other concepts. But if you ask me that if we are going to do something bigger, I don’t think there is need. I do not believe that within the Citroën mission it is necessary to go to segment D. obviously we have C5X today, but they are very small sales, so I do not think this is a priority.
And then segment A, where we had the C1, for example, is a super small segment. And that’s why it is not so much a priority. That is why we concentrate on segment B and segment C, from C3 to the C5 Aircross.
– Does this mean that within the companies of the Citroën Group is perhaps more focused on the volume of sales or which customers would go as a brand?
Well, we are a popular and accessible brand. This is our role. So I’m not going to Premium, I’m not going to bigger cars. Let’s not forget that more than 10 years ago the company decided to separate DS from Citroën. It is a reality and we do not question it. That is, there is a mission for Citroën, which is a volume mark, which is to make accessible mobility, including electric mobility, and that is what we have to do yes or yes.
– And in that role, what differentiates you from Opel?
Well, Opel is in the positioning of brands. There are Fiat and Citroën who are in what we call the “core mainstream”, that is, the heart of the “mainstream” and then we have Opel and Peugeot in the “Upper mainstream”, that is, more technological cars, a slightly price higher. And that is what we need to defend as a positioning so that there is not much overlapping in the brand positioning. Now I can understand that there is questioning because Opel has the border, which is a car that has the same base as the C3 Aircross, but there are many other cars that have the same base, so what we need to ensure is that we maintain our brand positioning .
For example, the border does not have a version of gasoline that we have, the Opel model begins with the hybrid version and that is why it has a slightly different positioning from the C3 Aircross.
#reach #sales #electric #vehicles #tourism #market
