MG Motor has given its competitors a hard time, particularly the Renault Mégane E-Tech, thanks to the extremely competitive prices of its compact electric MG4. While Renault unveiled its new electric R5 with fanfare at the Geneva Motor Show, a few stands further away, MG is already preparing its response.
Thus, David Allison, head of products and planning at MG Motor in the United Kingdom, announced on the sidelines of the presentation of the MG3 the development of a new affordable electric car, reports Coach. “I think there is a huge opportunity for someone who can make a four-meter electric vehicle for around €20,000”he indicated, “I think someone can do it with a car of decent size and acceptable range for this price, and I think that person will be able to do well. And why not us?”
A rival to the Citroën ë-C3 and Renault 5 E-Tech, but even cheaper
There is currently only one electric car sold for less than €20,000 excluding bonuses in France. This is the Dacia Spring, which was priced from €18,400 before its just-announced restyling. However, it is a mini-city car with a very spartan technical sheet, offering only 220 km of autonomy. The niche that MG is targeting therefore seems closer to that of the Citroën ë-C3 and Renault 5 E-Tech electric, but with a lower price. The ë-C3 (320 km range) is in fact sold from €23,300. A €20,000 version is certainly in the pipeline, but with a reduced range (around 200 km). The R5 is expected to cost nearly €25,000 at entry level (300 km range).
On the other hand, the two French women are entitled to the ecological bonus on their national market, currently amounting to €4,000. Although SAIC Motor, owner of MG Motor, is looking to set up a factory in Europe, its next electric city car could continue to be produced in China. The one that is already nicknamed MG2 would therefore risk not being eligible for the ecological bonus in France, which would reduce the price gap with some of its rivals. However, this remains to be confirmed, especially since the conditions for granting the ecological bonus, as well as its amount, could still change between now and the arrival of the MG city car.
The model should therefore not be launched before at least “the end of next year”, according to David Allison. We will therefore still have to be patient, but many other manufacturers also hope to invest in the market for affordable electric city cars, such as Fiat, Volkswagen, and even Hyundai.