A key element of the electric offensive in the most affordable category will be the Smart Car platform, which will also be used by Fiat and Opel.
Stellantis is preparing for the onslaught of Chinese cars on the European market, mainly cheap electric vehicles. With the premiere of the Citroën ë-C3, it introduces the low-cost Smart Car platform, which, according to information from the Automotive News magazine, should also be deployed in its other brands, as stated by Renaud Tourte, program director of this platform.
Approximately seven models should be created on it. The Smart Car platform is based on an older CMP technical solution, so it is not limited to purely electric drive. Therefore, vehicles with an internal combustion engine can also be built on it.
According to Tourt, a larger version of the ë-C3 and at least two other vehicles from other brands within the Stellantis concern are now on the waiting list – when asked if it could be a Fiat Panda, according to Automotive News magazine, he replied that it is not a completely crazy idea. Opel will certainly get a car modeled after the ë-C3 and based on the same technology.
The Smart Car platform uses 90 percent of suppliers from low-cost countries and Chinese battery technology, which is why the already introduced ë-C3 with a range of 320 kilometers has a base price on the European market set at 23,300 euros, while a more affordable model with a range of 200 kilometers will soon be added for 19,990 euros.
