Peugeot confirms BB1 for production

Peugeot has confirmed it will build a production version of the BB1, the concept car that's a cross between a car and a scooter. Coming less than a week after it unveiled the SR1 – a roadster concept car that’s supposed to be a line in the sand for Peugeot design – the announcement came as the 200-year old French car company launched its Marque plan that'a aimed at rejuvenating the brand.

The five-year scheme has three goals: to move Peugeot up three places in the world car market; to establish the company as a benchmark for style; and to make it a leader in mobility services.

It means it's still going to be a few years yet before Peugeot reveals anything resembling the SR1. But after ‘overwhelming interest’ the company has confirmed it will build a vehicle that embodies ‘all of the spirit of the BB1’. So expect something around two and a half metres long, with four seats and an electric powerplant. Peugeot is also promising the new car will have full connectivity with the latest smart phones, and ‘fully adaptable with an architecture the like of which has never been seen before’.

Wth an all-new platform needing to be developed it'll be around three years before you can buy a BB1. However, Peugeot's design team know what tweaks need to be made to ready the car-cum-scooter for the road, and work is already underway.

This year we’ll get the iOn – a French version of Mitsubishi’s iMiEV – and an electric scooter, but in 2011 there’ll be a diesel hybrid version of the 3008 (along with stop/start tech on all Peugeot’s diesel products) and in 2012 there’ll be a plug-in diesel hybrid. In total we’re promised 14 new models between now and 2012 - though not all of them will be coming to Europe - which Peugeot hopes will help it become the seventh largest car company in the world by 2015.

The final element to Peugeot’s big plan is to offer global mobility services across the world, from cars and light commercial vehicles, to scooters and bicycles. Called Mu by Peugeot - Mu is the Greek word for mobility - the scheme will start in mainland Europe and allow anyone to use a pre-paid ‘top-up card’ to access Peugeot's range, whether you want the iOn or an electric scooter for a trip into the city, or a 308 CC for your summer holidays.

By Ben Pulman