In Order To Stop China's Onslaught, Stellantis Prepares EV Cars At Affordable Prices

Fiat Centoventi Concept. (Doc. Stellantis)

JAKARTA - Stellantis, a multinational company focused on expanding electric vehicles (EVs), plans to bring models to customers interested in switching to electric cars at affordable prices.

This step is in line with their efforts to expand the ranks of the Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) and continue to compete with other car manufacturers in Europe, especially Chinese brands known for high-quality cars but affordable prices.

Quoted from Bloomberg, Saturday, August 5, Stellantis has ambitions to launch an EV model inspired by Fiat Panda, a legendary Italian hatchback.

Fiat CEO Olivier Francois revealed that this electric car will be priced at the cheapest price in the electric car segment, which is under 25,000 euros (around IDR 418.3 million).

"There is a real demand for electric cars that are more affordable," Francois said.

If this works, cars that can be categorized as entry-levels will be more economical than BYD Dolphin, which is sold for around IDR 490 million and will be a serious competitor for VW ID.2 which is also expected to have a price of around IDR 320 million.

This cheap electric car will take the design of Centoventi's first introduced concept model in 2019. Francois also revealed plans to launch this electric car in the summer of 2024.

Fiat is not a new player in the electric vehicle segment. This Italian brand has previously released a 500e model and 600e compact SUV, both highlighting impressive design and performance.

In addition to the Fiat brand, Stellantis also announced plans for other brands such as Citroen to enter the EV market in urban cars early next year. The Citroen car will also be sold for under 25,000 euros or around Rp. 400 million and offers a battery range of more than 300 km.

The car will be called e-C3, an electric version of the C3 compact SUV model and Stellantis positioning Citroen e-C3 to compete with Dacia Spring and Renault 5, which is planned to be marketed in Europe in the near future.

To save on production costs, Citroen e-C3 will use the same components as some other brands under Stellantis, such as Fiat, Peugeot, DS, and others.

The announcement of these two electric car models comes as Stellantis realizes that demand for affordable electric vehicles is increasing. Car manufacturers are trying to keep buyers on the mass market whose purchasing power is limited due to inflation.

This plan is also in line with Stellantis' commitment to selling fully electric vehicles in Europe towards the end of this decade.