French Open goes 100% electric with 162 plug-in Peugeot car fleet

The French Open has become the latest global sporting event to champion electric mobility, with long-time official partner Peugeot using electric and plug in hybrid electric vehicles only to supply the Paris grand slam tennis tournament for the first time.

The French automaker said last week that the fleet of 162 Peugeot cars being made available to transport players, VIPs and officials at Roland-Garros was two-thirds plug-in hybrids and one-third purely electric models, including Peurgeot’s award-winning all-electric van the e-Expert.

Peugeot has also released a new EV ad to run during the French Open, featuring world number one men’s player Novak Djokovic – who is sporting the car maker’s newly revamped branding throughout the tournament – and its new 508 SW plug-in hybrid.

“The line-up of the 100% electric fleet that we are making available to the Roland-Garros tournament organisation demonstrates our shared interest in firmly investing in the energy transition”, said Linda Jackson, managing director of the Peugeot Brand.

“In two years, Peugeot has dramatically accelerated the introduction of low and zero emission vehicles. By the end of this year, 70% of the vehicles in our range will be electrified. And by 2025, the entire Peugeot vehicle range will be electrified.”

The six models being used in the French Open fleet include the afore-mentioned new 508 SW plug-in hybrid, the 508 Hybrid, the 3008 GT Hybrid 225 e-EAT8, and the e-2008 SUV, the carmaker’s first 100% electric vehicle that was first launched in 2019.

Other all-electrics being used in the fleet are the e-TRAVELLER and the e-Expert compact van, which was this year voted international van of the year and which Peugeot says can access Paris’ “most protected city centres without restriction,” due to its zero emissions.

All the fleet vehicles are marked with the Roland-Garros logo, the new Peugeot logo – a coat of arms representing a lion’s head on a black background – and feature a sticker on their rear window that reads “Move to electric.”

“The French Tennis Federation has placed sustainable development at the heart of its strategy, and the Roland Garros tournament is its most prestigious showcase,” said Gilles Moretton, president of the French Tennis Federation.

“It is important for us to make our approach visible. The fleet of 162 electric vehicles that Peugeot is making available to the tournament is a remarkable and pleasing contribution to our efforts in terms of eco-responsibility.”