PSA will consolidate their small car production at a factory in Slovakia, as the struggling auto maker looks to cut labor costs and increase margins on small cars.
Reuters and Automotive News Europe report that the next-generation Citroen C3, the brand's best-selling model, will be built in Slovakia, alongside the C3 Picasso minivan and the Peugeot 208.
Although the 208 and C3 are currently built at PSA's Poissy plant as well as in Slovakia, moving them eastward would allow PSA to slash their hourly wage costs, from 57 euros an hour in France, down to 15.50 euros in Slovakia. Lowering labor costs is critical for PSA, as it struggles to regain profitability and reap greater margins on their small cars, which are both unprofitable and PSA's most popular cars.
Closing any French plant will be fraught with difficulty. Complex labor laws and cultural factors will make closing a plant a political nightmare for PSA – but the economics of Europe's car market can no longer sustain it.
from The Truth About Cars http://ift.tt/Jh8LjA
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