Login

First Citroen EV For India Will Arrive Next Year, Two More Will Follow

Citroen will lead electrification in India at Stellantis and Jeep will follow later. The first EV model is expected to be the electric version of the upcoming C3 crossover hatch.
Calendar-icon

By Siddharth Vinayak Patankar

clock-icon

1 mins read

Calendar-icon

Published on May 18, 2022

Follow us on

google-news-icon
Story

Highlights

  • The first electric vehicle from Stellantis in India will arrive in 2023.
  • Citroen will lead the charge on electrification for India.
  • There will be a fully electric Jeep model out in 2023.

The first electric vehicle (EV) from Stellantis in India will arrive in 2023. The announcement was made by Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares as he shared the company's EV strategy for India. Citroen will lead the charge on electrification for India, though Tavares does expect Jeep to also follow suit in a few years. "The smart car programme has been created under the Citroen umbrella, and the EV versions are part of this programme. In India the Citroen brand will be leading the way on EV introduction," said Tavares. The cars in question are being engineered in India with a view on affordability for middle-class consumers. Tavares says that currently there is a price gap with EVs being 40 to 50 per cent more expensive than conventional cars. "It is our task along with our suppliers, to absorb those additional production costs, to protect affordability, for the middle classes to be able to pay for this car. So we are going to bring not only compact cars, that are in the segmentation of less than 4 metres, but we will also bring EVs to people movers (MPVs) for the next products to be launched."

Also Read: Stellantis Targets Profitability in India, Doubling Of Revenues By 2030

t668igtg

The first car is expected to be the EV version of the soon-to-be-launched Citroen C3 crossover hatchback.

Also Read: Tavares Confident That Stellantis Can Catch Up With Tesla

The first car is expected to be the EV version of the soon-to-be-launched Citroen C3 crossover hatchback that is indeed a sub-4 metre model. The C3 will launch in India next month - though this will be the conventional fuel variant lineup. The EV variant will follow next year. The C3's modular platform is expected to spawn a compact crossover or SUV model, and a 7-seater MPV over the next two years. Each of those cars will also have an EV version. The biggest challenge is to increase local content on the EV models, according to Tavares. While all India-specific models have a minimum of 90 per cent localisation baked into their development plan - it is still way off for the electrics. Stellantis says it has as yet no supplier base to achieve such higher levels of localisation for the EVs but hopes that will change soon.

Also Read: Big Expectations From C3 In India Says Citroen

qo0jbpis

There will be a fully electric Jeep model out in 2023.

Also Read: Jeep Meridian SUV Review

The battery itself will be the biggest challenge, as currently, batteries need to be imported. Stellantis will also actively seek opportunities to consider local sourcing of batteries for the EV models - to bring costs down further. At present, there is no plan, but it expects such options to be available over the next few years. EVs do form a huge part of the company's 'Dare Forward 2030' global plan, and they will play a role in India too, though not as aggressively.

0e284t1s

Jeep will also introduce a locally assembled Grand Cherokee later this year.

Also Read:  Jeep Meridian SUV India Launch Details Announced

Stellantis also plans to make Jeep the leading EV SUV brand in the world by 2030. The company already offers a number of plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants of its models in global markets - badged 4Xe. And there will be a fully electric Jeep model out in 2023. But there is no immediate plan to bring either of those offerings to India. However, in the long-term Jeep India will also have an electrified lineup on offer. The brand recently introduced the Jeep Meridian 3-row SUV in India, and its price announcement is scheduled for tomorrow (May 19, 2022). Jeep will also introduce a locally assembled Grand Cherokee later this year. The Citroen C3 hatch will be Stellantis' next offering in India, after the Meridian.

Calendar-icon

Last Updated on May 18, 2022


Stay updated with automotive news and reviews right at your fingertips through carandbike.com's Google News

Related Articles

Latest News

Research More on Citroen C3

Popular Citroen Models