Stellantis, the parent company of Citroën, will begin selling an affordable electric car called the e-C3 early next year. Priced below €25,000 (approximately $27,330), the e-C3 targets mass-market customers who may be considering cheaper Chinese cars.
The Citroën e-C3 city car offers a range of over 300 kilometers (186 miles) on a single charge, competing with the Dacia Spring produced in China and the upcoming Renault 5 EV. It is reported that Citroën will manufacture the e-C3 in Slovakia. Thierry Koskas, Head of the Citroën brand, stated, "Citroën has always been about producing affordable cars and now wants everyone to be able to use electric vehicles."
Due to the high cost of batteries, European car manufacturers are striving to introduce affordable electric cars that can generate sufficient returns. The increasing pressure from Chinese automakers preparing to enter the European market and Tesla significantly reducing prices in the European market has further intensified the competition for European car manufacturers.
Volkswagen unveiled an electric concept car priced below €25,000 in March this year, but it will take a few more years for the vehicle to enter production. Renault plans to launch a "Made in France" pure electric car, the Renault 5, next year, but the company has not disclosed its pricing yet.
Citroën's global sales target is currently set at 1 million vehicles, higher than the previous year's figure of 685,732. Koskas stated that Citroën also aims to achieve a 5% market share in Europe (up from 3.7% last year) and is on track to possibly achieve this goal in the second half of this year. Citroën also plans to maintain growth in the Middle East, Africa, India, and Latin America.
