The representatives of the Stellantis concern have announced that at least seven budget-class cars from the brands included in the concern are being planned, so that it can compete with the machines and prices offered by the Chinese. Some of them will be electric cars, but not all.
It is known that the Stellantis concern develops four large platforms – STLA Small, STLA Medium, STLA Large and STLA Frame, in order to cover almost the entire range of cars that are currently being marketed. The names of the first three platforms speak for themselves and what machines they are intended for, while the STLA Frame is designed to produce more specific models intended for off-road use.
One of the Stellantis brands, Citroen, has just presented its budget-class electric car e-C3, but it is interesting that it does not use any of the four platforms – e-C3 was created on the Smart Car platform specially adapted for Europe. The chief engineer of the platform, Reno Turte, in an interview Automotive News explained that this platform is designed in such a way that an internal combustion engine can also be placed in it, but at least two more new models are expected already next year.
Competition in Europe is increasingly intensified by Chinese electric car manufacturers, who continue an aggressive expansion policy in Europe. It’s no secret that Europe is looking for ways to contain the Chinese, as their automakers benefit from massive government subsidies for car development and production.
As for the “budget class”, the price of the machines is not yet known, but the e-C3 has a known reference point – it costs 23,300 euros in Europe (the exact price in Latvia will be specified). If we assume that electric cars are still more expensive than a car of a similar size with an internal combustion engine, then everyone can make their own guess at which price category Stellantis is aiming for.
2023-10-22 09:00:00
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