At the climate negotiations in Paris, Madame Ségolène Royal, the French Minister of Ecology, who keeps the sustainable Development and Energy, explained that she wanted to “create an electric car for the people”. She imagines that the car can be small, light, fast-charging, and with an appearance that “may not look like traditional electric cars”.
She also pointed out that the €7000 price tag — which is roughly $10,438 — should be an upper limit, and suggested that the price should be lower than $7300. That's an extraordinary low price for an electric vehicle.
The plans would eventually see France rolling out the low-cost car around the country, in an attempt to shift more of the nation’s vehicle fleet to electric. Royal also said that she hoped the competition would spur innovation — in material and battery development, as well as new modes of car use. “In emerging countries, the growing middle class means that there are more and more vehicles being purchased and most of these cars are fossil fuel cars,” she pointed out. “This is a very attractive solution.”
It’s not the first plan to create an affordable electric car. In India, the low-cost electric vehicle known as e2o is on sale, which cost $20,535 when it first launched. It, however, received a poor reception from consumers. Whether France’s effort can do any better remains to be seen.
