In Italy, the Citroën ë-C3 Electric drops to €8,900!

Citroën and the Italian government are slashing electric car prices with aid and discounts that are absolutely crazy from a French perspective.

8,900 euros. This shocking price has been displayed since early October for the Citroën ë-C3 in Italy. A 100% electric city car, manufactured in Europe (Slovakian factory of Trnava), offered at a price lower than that of a basic thermal city car. Nothing like this has ever been seen before.

Behind this announcement that caused a lot of buzz lies a perfectly calculated strategy, at the intersection of industrial engineering, public policy, and disruptive marketing.

The secret to this Citroën strike-basement price mainly resides in layering several financial levers. The Italian government has launched an ambitious incentives program for 2025, targeted at households with modest incomes (less than €30,000), including a bonus of up to €11,000 when scrapping an old thermal vehicle (up to Euro 5).

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In addition to these public aids, Citroën adds an integrated commercial discount as part of Stellantis’ support plan for electric mobility… in Southern Europe. As a result, by combining the government bonus and manufacturer discount, the entry price of the ë-C3 symbolically drops below €9,000. Without these aids, the catalog price starts at €23,900!

Here are the prices:

YOU: €8,900
PLUS: €9,900
MAX: €10,900

It should also be noted that the extended version, the ë-C3 Aircross, starts at €11,900.

Read the conditions carefully!

However, this operation is only accessible under certain conditions: residing in an eligible urban area (according to ISTAT’s definition), being a first-time buyer, and keeping the vehicle for at least two years. In other words, a targeted offer designed to stimulate local demand in a country where electric vehicles remain a minority (around 5% of the market in 2024).

By foregoing some premium features (more subdued interior materials, streamlined electronics, a single 113 hp engine), Citroën has focused its efforts on comfort and range—two central criteria for European buyers. The result: up to 440 km in urban use according to the WLTP cycle, and a fast recharge to 80% in 26 minutes, values that remain competitive against much more expensive models.

An offensive strategy aimed at Southern Europe

This lower price strategy is no coincidence. Italy, where households are particularly sensitive to the initial purchase cost and where charging infrastructure is progressing slowly, is an ideal testing ground for Citroën.

The French automaker, long associated with comfort and design, now claims a social mission: democratizing access to electric mobility. This approach aligns with the message of its CEO, Thierry Koskas, who has been advocating for months for a return to an “essential and affordable” car. Essentially, the new 2CV.

By positioning its ë-C3 at such a price point, Citroën is putting direct pressure on its competitors. The Dacia Spring and BYD Dolphin Surf now face a larger, more comfortable, and just as affordable product.

But this aggressive policy also raises a question: is the model economically sustainable without public aid? Citroën admits only partially: without Italian government support, the €8,900 baseline price would be impossible to maintain. In the long run, the brand counts on volume effects and increased rationalization of electric components to make such prices sustainable, even without subsidies.

But that day is not yet tomorrow, unfortunately.