Citroën is considering the possibility of releasing a new ultra-affordable electric car, Autocar reports.

The French company believes that the European car market is acutely feeling the need for inexpensive urban models, as modern cars are becoming increasingly less affordable for ordinary buyers.

It is about a compact electric car that could occupy a place between the small Citroën Ami and the larger Citroën ë-C3.

According to Autocar, this project became possible thanks to new rules being discussed in the European Union, which concern the “E-car” category, simplified small cars for which some of the costly regulatory requirements could be relaxed.

The head of design at Citroën, Pierre Leclercq, has said the company is already working with European regulators on a concept for a new class of urban electric vehicles.

The future model is expected to be built on the Smart Car platform, the same architecture used in the ë-C3, Fiat Grande Panda, and Opel Frontera.

Citroën has openly said it wants to return purchasing power to European customers. The market for cheap compact cars has almost disappeared in recent years: manufacturers have massively abandoned small-capacity models due to high cost prices, strict environmental requirements, and the transition to electric power. As a result, even the simplest new cars in Europe often cost more than 20 thousand euros.

Citroën is already trying to reduce the cost of its electric vehicles. For example, the electric ë-C3 became one of the first European electric cars to cost less than 25 thousand euros. To reduce the cost, engineers used a simpler platform, LFP-type batteries, and a large-scale reduction in production costs.

According to the brand's management, the cost price of the model was reduced by about 15–20% compared to the previous generation C3.

Experts note that the pressure on European manufacturers is increasing due to the growing competition from Chinese brands, which offer cheaper electric cars.

Against this background, the concept of a people's electric car for European companies is no longer just marketing, but a matter of survival in the mass market.