Fiat launches an electric Grande Panda with one of the lowest prices on the market

© Fiat

The Stellantis group is in the process of strengthening its electric vehicle offering in Europe. After the very successful electric Citroën ë-C3, available in a variant for €25,000, it’s the turn of Fiat, another leading brand of the group, to announce the’ #8217;arrival of a model at the same price level.

Called the Grande Panda, it is a vehicle in the compact SUV category, like Dacia's Duster, one of its most direct competitors. The car will be produced with three engines (electric, petrol and hybrid) in a factory based in Serbia. The vehicle is a little more imposing than the classic Panda, with a length of 3.99 m compared to 3.65 m.

The Big Panda attacks small SUVs (and the ë-C3, small city cars)

The electric model at less than €25,000 will offer 113 hp and a range of 230 km (WLTP) with a battery capacity of 44 kWh. For its part, the “small” Panda will continue to be produced in the same Italian factory until at least 2026. The brand's parent company, Stellantis, thus seems to be setting a new milestone in its strategy to conquer the European market in the electric category.

A market marked by the weight of foreign brands such as the American Tesla. But also by the offensive of many references produced in China without setting up a factory in Europe. To respond to the lower manufacturing costs of these brands, Stellantis is thus banking on the synergy between its different brands. The Grande Panda will thus benefit from the same engine platform as the new ë-C3.

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All this makes it possible to offer very close production costs and therefore to offer similar prices. Stellantis has set particularly ambitious sales targets for the coming years – both in Europe and in the United States. In its Dare 2030 plan, the group hopes to reach 50% of turnover from sales of electric vehicles.

It is also a question of conquering new markets, while increasing the share of Premium and Luxury vehicles from 4% (2021) to 11%. Stellantis believes it can offset the increase in costs linked to electric motors by an offensive in software development activities and services. A growth driver which could perhaps resemble the sale of dematerialized functionalities a bit like manufacturers such as Tesla do with certain options.

It is thus possible on part of the range, to purchase via the manufacturer application, additions such as heated seats, or more efficient acceleration among other examples. These options become active immediately after payment. Vehicles could thus see their production more standardized while restricting certain functionalities depending on the variants. Restriction which could be broken at any time in the life cycle of the vehicle, if the owner purchases this or that option.

Beyond that, the “Software” as the manufacturer calls it in its plan, also seems to cover standardization and development efforts for all of the group's brands and vehicles.

• Fiat announces the Grande Panda, which will be offered, among other things, in an electric variant for less than €25,000.
• The model targets the small SUV category.
• Which illustrates the Stellantis group's market conquest strategy in the electric segment.

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