Luca de Meo, current CEO of the Renault group, took advantage of an event dedicated to the automobile of the future to discuss an ambitious new project for the brand: the launch of an ultra-affordable electric car, under the €20,000 mark. . The idea is displayed: to compete with Volkswagen and its ID.1.
To accelerate the democratization of the electric car, there is a crucial point on which manufacturers are focusing their efforts: the price. In the years to come, several industry players have committed to launching a wattage model displayed at around €25,000.
This is the case of Tesla with the mysterious Model 2, but also of Volkswagen with the ID.2. By the way, if you’re curious to get a taste of VW’s future city car, the brand recently presented the ID. 2all, the concept car that serves as the foundation for the ID.2.
And on the French side, we obviously have Renault with its reissue of the electric R5, which will also be offered around €25,000 when it is launched in 2024. But imagine that the diamond brand intends to go even further.
Renault wants to launch an affordable electric car under €20,000
During the Future of Car event organized by the Financial Times, the CEO of the Renault group Luca de Meo unveiled the outlines of an ambitious new project. Indeed, the French manufacturer also plans to launch an electric vehicle for less than €20,000. The idea being to compete directly Volkswagen ID.1the future low-cost city car from the German company.
Even more interestingly, this project will be inspired by Mr. de Meo kei cars, these very popular micro-cars in Japan. For neophytes, kei cars are subject to strict size and power constraints. In return, they have several tax advantages. In total, these affordable cars accounted for more than a third of the 4.2 million new vehicles sold in the Japanese archipelago in 2022.
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“I really like the idea of translating the concept of kei cars in Japan into European language. I think there is a certain intelligence in this type of concept, because it is not only a question of product. It is a question of product, but also of regulation to enable efficient and low-impact human mobility”, said the Renault boss.
If we indulge in some speculation, we can imagine that this model at less than €20,000 will take over from the Dacia Spring. In its Essential version, the compact SUV is displayed at €20,800. With its 45 hp electric motor, it offers a range of 230 km in the WLTP combined cycle. Furthermore, it was announced that the Dacia Spring will bow out in 2027date on which this famous Renault lowcost model is due to land.
Source : Coach
