Citroen unveiled a Citroën 2CV electric car concept at the Paris Motor Show, presenting a small city runabout with retro styling and a showroom target for 2028. The model is not yet ready to go on sale, but Citroen says a version should reach showrooms by then.
Xavier Chardon at Paris Motor Show
Xavier Chardon, Citroen chief executive, described the car as "a modern, ingenious and refreshing response to the mobility challenges of tomorrow". He is putting the 2CV name back into play on an electric model aimed at buyers looking for a lower-cost city EV.
Citroen says the price is expected to be about £13,000. That places the car in the part of the market where small, simple EVs need to persuade buyers that they can offer enough range, size and everyday usefulness without moving into larger, pricier models.
Citroen 2CV and retro styling
The original 2CV launched in 1948 and stayed in production for more than 40 years. Its high wheel arches, tall curved roof and eye-like headlights helped make it one of Citroen's most recognisable shapes, and the new concept borrows that outline rather than trying to hide it.
Citroen is also following a retro-nostalgia pattern that other carmakers have used to sell electric cars. The strategy is straightforward: a familiar name and shape can give an EV an immediate identity before buyers have seen the full specification.
Citroen showroom target 2028
The car remains a concept for now, so the current unveiling is a design and market signal rather than a launch. The 2028 showroom target means the next version will need to move from styling exercise to a model with production detail that can meet buyers' expectations on price and practicality.
For anyone watching the affordable EV market, the immediate takeaway is simple: Citroen has put a low-cost electric city car on the clock, and the real test comes when the company turns the concept into something ready for sale.
