Best-selling car manufacturer to discontinue stylish saloon… in push to sell more EVs in the UK
PEUGEOT are set to drop the 508 from the UK this December – with the French brand pushing to sell more EVs.
The 508 is a stylish saloon or estate motor that’s been around since 2010, and is the only car Peugeot currently sells that doesn’t have a fully electric version.
Having confirmed their decision to Autocar, the French brand stated that the UK government’s upcoming zero-emissions mandate (ZEV) was the reasoning behind their decision.
Peugeot said in a statement: “We have chosen to focus even further on our electric models in the UK, with the ZEV mandate giving us a clear direction to do this.
“As a result of this, every one of Peugeot’s passenger cars is now available in both battery-electric and hybrid powertrains.”
The ZEV mandate is a major concern for many car makers currently selling motors in the UK.
The legislation, introduced by the Labour government, has set a target for manufacturers to sell a certain percentage of EVs – with 22% being the target this year.
The punishment for failing to do this is a £15,000 fine for each non-compliant car sold above that threshold.
According to Autocar, the 508 will be sold in the UK until December – exclusively as a plug-in hybrid in GT trim – but will live on in the rest of Europe.
Removing the car from their showrooms is perhaps not a major blow to Peugeot, as the 508 is not a strong seller for the brand that’s boasted strong sales in the UK in recent years.
Indeed, only 7,000 508 models have sold since the second-gen version went on sale in 2019.
The 508 currently starts at £33,810 in the UK, while the upmarket 508 SW starts at £35,010.
The motor has had various versions and powertrains, ranging from 5-door liftbacks to estates and sedans, with petrol, diesel and hybrid power.
This comes as Peugeot recently revealed they were axing their short-lived performance car line.
The Peugeot PSE line came onto the market in 2020 as a performance brand operating within the firm’s existing catalogue.
Standing for Peugeot Sport Engineered, it focussed on creating souped-up variants of existing models, particularly hot hatches.
The latest PSE creation, a faster variant of the 508, currently retails at a whopping £53,000.
And elsewhere, a reto Peugeot 205 recently sold for an eye-watering fee at a classic car auction – proving that once affordable little motors can now fetch vast sums from collectors.