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Groupe PSA, the Paris-based conglomerate that owns Peugeot, Citroën and other auto manufacturers, has launched a transportation service in the United States.
The service, Free2Move, connects bike rental, car sharing, ride-hailing, and public transportation options all in one app, and lets customers compare cost and other information to see which option might suit them.
Free2Move launched in Seattle, Washington this month, and including offerings from Car2Go and Zipcar. PSA announced that TravelCar will also be added, as well bike sharing services such as Ofo Bike, Lime Bike and Spin Bike. A Forbes contributor noted that the service was introduced in Europe a year ago and reportedly has more than 500,000 users in that continent.
Motor Trend
reports that PSA hopes to use the service to reintroduce its vehicles to Americans, some time in the next decade.
Peugeot and Citroën had been players in the U.S. market, but left in 1974 and 1991. Its vehicles were generally well regarded, but never sold here in huge numbers.
The French government helped bring PSA back from the brink of bankruptcy in 2014. The conglomerate has seemingly recovered since, and is expanding aggressively.
The conglomerate bought two struggling brands from GM, Opel and Vauxhall, this summer. Earlier in the year, it purchased the Ambassador nameplate from Indian auto manufacturer Hindustan. The organization sold more than 3.1 million vehicles last year, mostly in Europe, and ranked 10th overall in total sales among global auto manufacturers.
By comparison, last year, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles sold 4.7 million, Ford sold 6.4 million and GM sold 7.8 million, according to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers.
