Models more suitable for all budgets.
Electric cars are the future of the automotive industry. However, in 2024 it is still difficult to see them as a short-term solution, perhaps not even a medium-term one, especially in countries like Spain. They still have a long way to go, as they have problems to deal with, but brands are already getting to work on it.
If we think about the impediments that prevent zero emissions from dominating, the resulting list is quite long: autonomy of electric cars, infrastructure of the charging network, power of the available charging stations…
However, the real obstacle, the true entry barrier that prevents many drivers from making the leap to electric cars, is money: simply, zero-emission cars are very expensive for what they offer.
Does this mean there are no cheap electric cars? Not at all. Currently there are options such as the Dacia Spring or the Invicta D2S, but their low cost brings with it limitations in space, performance and autonomy that make them appropriate only for a very specific audience and use (mainly urban).
Thus, the price of electric vehicles is one of the main workhorses of the sector, one in which fortunately many manufacturers are beginning to take action on the matter, motivated by two main reasons: low sales and, although there are those who It may be difficult for you to recognize it, because of what many consider to be the villain of the market, Elon Musk.
And the billionaire started, more than a year ago, an aggressive discount policy on his cars, specifically on the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y, which are already the most affordable and sell the most.
This meant that in countries like Spain, their access versions became compatible with Plan Moves III aid, which in turn represents additional savings. The movement was originally seen as an attempt to start a price war, something that would be beneficial for the buyer but which many brands did not want to enter into in principle.
This same month of January, Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, spoke out regarding Tesla's movements, being clear and forceful in this regard.
“If you reduce prices without taking into account the reality of your costs, you will have a massacre. I'm trying to avoid a race to the bottom. “I know a company that has brutally reduced prices and its profitability has collapsed brutally,” he told Reuters.
Thus, he was critical of the policy adopted by Musk, although he is aware of the needs of European customers: “Western consumers (…) want affordable BEV vehicles. “Anything that can guarantee a better price will be exactly in place of what we should do,” he noted.
Despite being clear about the objective, Tavares made it clear that his group will adjust prices within reason. However, many other brands have taken Tesla's bait and have entered the aforementioned price war, with announcements of very significant discounts on models already on sale occurring in recent months.
Wave of sales
One of the first brands to respond to Tesla was Ford, which at the beginning of 2023 experienced a reduction of 11,000 euros on the entry version of the Mustang Mach-E. The objective? Enter within the limits of the Moves to account for up to 18,000 euros of discount in total.
Closing last year was the Renault Mégane E-Tech that announced a discount of 4,600 euros, thanks to the fact that (with aid), its starting price is around 32,000 euros, a much friendlier amount than the more 43,000 euros price recommended that I had before.
BYD followed suit with the Atto 3 which, although in a more modest way, also reduced the price of the SUV by 2,000 euros.
Already in 2024, Subaru has joined the trend, cutting the Solterra rate by 6,000 euros with a promotional campaign (now starting from around 41,000 euros with aid included); like the Volkswagen Group, which has given a major blow to its cheapest models to make them even more accessible and not be left behind.
Within Volkswagen, the ID.3, ID.4 and ID.5 are now between 4,000 and 5,000 euros cheaper than a few months ago; while Cupra has applied even more forceful discounts to the different variants of the Born, which range between 8,000 and almost 10,000 euros.
The result is that models that were not so convincing for their performance, but not for their price, are now located in a range that, without being cheap as such, does seem much more reasonable in relation to what they offer and what they cost. .
This, added to the fact that they are all cars that serve as the only car in the home thanks to their autonomy, can encourage many drivers who were hesitant to take the leap.