Citroën says cheap EVs are coming

Citroën will be releasing a whole new lineup of affordable electric cars to compete with its increasing number of rivals, says Citroën Head of Design Pierre Leclercq. The important thing is, they will not just be light on the wallet but also good-looking.

The first production cars should reach the market in two years’ time, probably looking like the Oli Concept (see video) and the Ami quadricycle the company previewed earlier. In the interview, Leclercq pointed out a ‘super-cool’ exterior design and stressed that none of the vehicles would look even remotely like a smaller version of an existing Citroën car.

In terms of pricing, the new lineup will be positioned below such entries as the Fiat 500e, the MG MG4 and the Opel Corsa-e. While not final, the starting point is penciled in at £25,000.

It seems likely that the company will use the CMP platform by Stellantis for the production. The Peugeot e-208, which received an update last fall, uses the same principal platform. As such, one may expect such standard features as fixed front-wheel drive, between 130 and 150 metric horsepower (128-148 hp; 96-110 kW) and up to 400 km (248 miles) of range on a charge.

To minimize the production costs, the company may ditch the multimedia system in favor of a smartphone dock and some Bluetooth speakers, which is already the case in the Citroёn Oli mentioned above. Per Leclercq, people spend their entire day smartphone in hand these days, so letting them use it for in-car infotainment would make perfect sense.