Jeep Planning $25,000 Electric Vehicle
Affordable electric vehicles continue to be elusive, but automakers are slowly starting to come out with inexpensive options. Stellantis wants to enter the affordable EV segment, as CEO Carlos Tavares confirmed that the rugged Jeep brand will have a $25,000 electric car on sale “very soon,” reports CNBC. The push to have an affordable EV on sale is to attract more shoppers at a time when EV adoption is decreasing.
Tavares confirmed a few details of the upcoming EV to the outlet. The vehicle will be priced around $25,000 and is meant to act as America’s version of the Citroen e-C3 SUV that Stellantis sells in Europe. That vehicle costs around $25,200 when converted from euros, giving American shoppers an affordable option that’s similar to an EV that’s available in other parts of the world.
“In the same way we brought the 20,000 Euro Citroen e-C3, you will have a $25,000 Jeep very soon,” Tavares said during a Bernstein investor conference earlier this week, claims CNBC. “We are using the same expertise because we are a global company and this is totally fluid across the engineering world of Stellantis.”
Affordable electric cars are something every automaker is looking into, though the only one that has really managed to bring an inexpensive EV to market is Chevrolet with the Bolt EV. While the electric car isn’t available anymore, it used to start at $27,495, making it the cheapest EV in 2023. The cheapest EV in 2024 is the Nissan Leaf which costs $29,280. A $25,000 EV from Jeep would become the most affordable electric car on sale in the U.S. by a wide margin.
“If you ask me what is an affordable BEV, I would say 20,000 euros in Europe and $25,000 in the U.S.,” Tavares said. “So our job is to bring the safe, clean and affordable BEV to the U.S., $25,000. We’ll do it.”
CNBC doesn’t have any information on what Jeep’s affordable EV will be called or what kind of performance it will have. While Jeep doesn’t have any all-electric vehicles on sale in the U.S., the rugged brand sells the Avenger in Europe. It’s a small SUV that comes with a 54-kWh battery pack, a 154-horsepower electric motor, and 217 miles of range on the WLTP cycle. The Citroen e-C3 comes with a smaller battery pack than the Jeep Avenger, has less power, and offers less range with a 199-mile rating on the WLTP cycle.
An all-electric vehicle like the Avenger wouldn’t be that popular in the U.S. Shoppers in America expect a different kind of EV than European buyers. American buyers want larger EVs with roughly 300 miles of range and exciting performance. That’s why Jeep’s first EV in the U.S. will be the enormous and upscale Wagoneer S. Still, we’re sure shoppers will be interested to see what Jeep comes up with for $25,000.
Pictured: Jeep Logo (Top), 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV (Middle)
Source: CNBC
