Groupe PSA – formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën – will set up its North American headquarters in Atlanta.
By this point, we know that Groupe PSA, one of the world’s largest automakers, will eventually return to the U.S. Those who aren’t familiar with that name might know the automaker by the brands it holds, namely Peugeot and Citroën. Those two French names have been out of the U.S. market for some time: Citroën stopped selling cars here in the 1970s, while Peugeot officially pulled out of the market in 1991.
Now, however, the French automaker will launch back into the market by 2026. That’s still a good time off, but it hasn’t stopped the company announcing its North American headquarters in Atlanta. Nor did it stop the company naming former Nissan executive Larry Dominique as its North American CEO. Recently, Dominique told reporters the PSA Group has narrowed its focus to 15 states in its return to the U.S., according to an Automotive News Europe report.
Specifically, those states included Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, North Carolina, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Washington. At this point, he did not disclose the fifteenth state. At an Automotive Press Association meeting, Dominique stated, “Those states are of the most interest to me at this point in time because they’re high volume and import receptive.” In other words, these markets account for most U.S. sales and will support a foreign manufacturer’s efforts to rejoin a market it has been absent from for decades.
It’s All Part of the Plan
Groupe PSA has a three-pronged approach to rejoining the U.S. market within the next decade. The company launched its Free2Move app in Seattle last fall. The app allows users to pay for ride-hailing or public transit through a single app. Next, PSA will launch a car-sharing service through the app. The company will introduce about 600 vehicles using the service to stir up awareness of the brands before re-launching in the U.S. market.
Currently, PSA holds the Peugeot, Citroën, Opel and Vauxhall brands, as well as the DS performance sub-brand. Dominique did not clarify which brand would return to the U.S. first in his meeting with reporters. Opel and Vauxhall were formerly controlled by GM until 2017, and were responsible for the designs of cars like the Buick Regal.
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