The presentation of Citroën ë-C3 It could mark a before and after not only for the French manufacturer, but also for its parent company, Stellantis. The automotive multinational intends to take advantage of the platform of the aforementioned model to launch, at least, 6 cheap electric cars in the near future.
Stellantis, like other companies in the sector, is focusing its strategy around electric mobility. Now, the big issue they have pending is to offer affordable proposals, such as the Citroën ë-C3, whose price starts from 23,800 euros —without applying aid from the MOVES III plan—.
When Stellantis began its journey into the world of total electrification, they did not have a platform that would allow them to build a cheap electric car. For this reason, they dedicated efforts to the development of Smart Cara foundation on which it is possible to build affordable models.
The Citroën ë-C3, then, is the first product that derives from Smart Car. It is worth mentioning that this platform inherits certain elements of the Common Modular Platform (CMP, for its acronym in English), also owned by Stellantis and whose objective is to develop vehicles , even with a combustion engine, for emerging markets. The Peugeot e-208, Opel Mokka-e and Citroën ë-C4 are just a few examples.
Thus, Stellantis’ idea is to take advantage of Smart Car to produce 6 other cheap electric cars. The above, of course, will allow them to cover a larger market. Not only in Europe, but also in other regions that are waiting for electrified vehicles whose cost does not break the wallet.
FIAT and Opel will take advantage of the new Stellantis platform
“Around seven different cars (considering the Citroën ë-C3) should be based on it,” he told Reuters Renaud Tourte, development director at Stellantis. The manager said that FIAT and Opel will develop cheap models based on said platform.
When can we see the first vehicles built on Smart Car? Fortunately, you won’t have to wait too long. We must remember that the Citroën ë-C3 will hit the market during the second half of next year. Other automakers are also expected to launch their cheap electric cars at some point in the future. 2024.
When Tourte was asked if one of these models could be the new FIAT Panda, he replied: “It’s not unreasonable to think that.” We will have to pay attention to the announcements of the Italian company…
At Stellantis they are quite clear that many people are willing to abandon the combustion engine. The main impediment, as mentioned above, continues to be the high price of purchasing an electric car. The good news is that, over the years, costs have been decreasing.
There will come a time when purchasing an electric car will be within the reach of the vast majority of the market, and Stellantis wants to be ready to face the demand. The Citroën ë-C3 is just the first step in an ambitious strategy.