19.3.2012 Peugeot and Citroen drop EV prices

Citroen and Peugeot UK have both announced changes to their electric vehicle sales programs, including lowering the on-the-road prices of Peugeot's iOn and Citroen's C-ZERO to just £21,216, after the Government's £5,000 Plug-in Car Grant.

This has reduced the purchase cost by around £7,000 for each electric vehicle, and means that monthly rental cost is reduced to £249 over a three-year term. Both the carmakers have significantly expanded their dealership networks.

There will soon be a total of 23 dedicated EV Specialist Peugeot dealerships, and Citroen will extend their EV Specialist network from 11 to 21 dealers. Both manufacturers also expect to continue electric vehicle dealership and support networks as market acceptance of electric vehicles grows.

Peugeot and Citroen's electric vehicle ranges will grow at the beginning of 2013 with the introduction of a new electric Peugeot Partner van and the electric Citroen Berlingo. Both will qualify for the recently announced extension to the Government's Plug-in Grant, with a maximum of £8,000 support towards the purchase price of electric commercial vehicles.

Both French manufacturers are demonstrating their environmental commitments by releasing low emission models and providing a widespread support network. Both have released hybrid models, with Peugeot being the first mainstream carmaker to release a diesel hybrid, the 3008 HYbrid4.

Peugeot has introduced a number of technological solutions and services, adapted to an array of customer needs and designed to drive powerful breakthroughs in fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions. These include the introduction of start-stop systems, diesel-electric hybrids and zero-emission vehicles, enabling Peugeot to increase its leadership in the European low-carbon vehicle segment and extend its expertise to other markets.

Phil Robson, Peugeot UK's Fleet and Used Car Director, commented, "2011 marked a return of EVs for Peugeot in the UK. We want to continue to develop our EV strategy as the technology becomes more accepted by consumers and the charging point infrastructure continues to develop."

Motoring journalist and EV advocate, Quentin Willson added, "I think this is great news for both consumers and businesses and it'll make owning a C-Zero more cost effective. I've been running one for 6 months and can't imagine life without it. This is the future for city drivers."

The price reduction is an indication the electric vehicle prices will fall as the technology become more understood and larger volumes of electric vehicle sales are completed. The lower iOn and C-ZERO prices bring them more in-line with other, more affordable models that are coming to market this year, such as lower cost models from manufacturers such as Renault, with their Zoe Z.E, starting at under £14,000 – making it the cheapest up-front costing electric car available in the UK.

Newspress