If the factory Peugeot Motocycles française is located in the historic birthplace of Peugeot in Mandeure, in the Doubs region, the scooters and motorcycles business of the lion brand no longer has any capital link with the French car manufacturer which gives it its name. PSA in fact sold in the fall of 2019 the 49% he still held in Peugeot Motocycles to the Indian Mahindra.
Nevertheless, the now Indian society keeps a link with its homeland. She can continue to use the legendary brand for fifty years. And the Mandeure factory, opened in 1925, remains its headquarters and main R&D site.
New start
After years of difficulties, marked by job cuts (90, during the last wave, bringing the workforce to 300 employees), the production site seems to resume its march forward. In the summer of 2019, the three production lines were merged into one, capable of producing several models, after an investment of 2 million euros. The factory focuses on premium models with high added value, while the Jinan site, in China, manufactures the rest of the range.
The brand launched its attack on segments it had neglected, such as mid-size motorcycles. And one of its flagship models, the Metropolis, a three-wheel scooter, was so successful that the factory crossed the 20,000 mark in late January. The scooter, in “black edition” finish, received a numbered plaque to celebrate this 20,000th copy, at the end of January.
On this occasion, the brand published a video presenting the different stages of the production of a Metropolis: machining, motor assembly, manufacturing of parts, painting, road tests and quality controls before delivery.
More details on production in Mandeure:
Fifty Metropolis are assembled every day in Mandeure, as well as a hundred Pulsion and a hundred Citystar models. Production of a new generation of Peugeot Metropolis will be launched in 2020. An electric version is also being studied.