In the United States, concerns are growing about the arrival of low-cost Chinese electric cars. The major American automakers, GM and the Stellantis group, have decided to take countermeasures and will soon unveil new, very affordable models to make things more difficult for Chinese electric cars.
Stellantis and GM to launch new affordable electric vehicles in the United States
Stellantis has announced that it will soon launch an electric car in the US market at a price of $25,000, a goal deemed achievable by the Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, considering that the group has already started selling more affordable electric vehicles in other parts of the world. Carlos Tavares referred to the success in bringing the Citroen e-C3 to the market at 20,000 euros in Europe and promised that a $25,000 electric Jeep will soon be available in the United States. He emphasized that Stellantis leverages the same engineering expertise globally, making it seamless to transpose these solutions to different parts of the world. Currently, the Fiat 500e is Stellantis’ most affordable electric vehicle in the United States, with a price of around $32,500.
By the end of 2024, Stellantis aims to introduce eight battery electric vehicles to the US market, including the much-anticipated Jeep Recon and Jeep Wagoneer S. This initiative follows a strong first quarter for Jeep in the US market, with sales up 2% from the previous year, driven by the popularity of its plug-in hybrid models, the Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe.
In addition to Stellantis, General Motors has also decided to participate in the price competition for electric cars. The automaker announced that it plans to reintroduce the Chevrolet Bolt, an affordable electric car that had previously been pulled from the market, by 2025. According to Marissa West, GM’s director for North America, the new version of the Bolt promises to offer exceptional styling, range, and charging time, with the goal of balancing affordability with the evolving charging infrastructure. “We are really excited to equip the Bolt with Ultium technology to make it the most affordable vehicle on the market by 2025,” West said in an interview with Automotive News.