French automaker group, PSA Groupe is in talks with transmission manufacturer Aisin for the building of transmissions at one of its own plants in France, according to a Reuters report. With Peugeot’s recent acquisition of Opel, the group’s enlarged scale helped Aisin ease into the negotiations, the report said.
“We’re absolutely not averse to joint programs with non-Toyota companies,” president of Aisin Seiki, Yasumori Ihara said in January, reportedly around the same time as when PSA CEO Carlos Tavares told his staff at the Metz transmission plant that a production deal was being considered.
Ihara’s statement of openness didn’t appear to make progress until PSA Groupe’s takeover of Opel, Reuters quoted a source as saying. “There’s easily enough room on the Metz site. They can come and install their tooling tomorrow if they want,” said Christian Lafaye, an official with the Force Ouvriere union.
Currently, PSA Groupe buys six- and eight-speed transmissions for use in models in its Peugeot, Citroen and DS brands, and if the transmissions are put together in the group’s native France, it would give better security in terms of supply and currency stability, as well as making better use of its existing plants.
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