The Citroën 2CV EV is coming back. And this time, the legendary Tin Snail is going electric.
Citroën has confirmed that its iconic 2CV will return in 2028 as a new electric model, with affordability at the heart of the project.
That’s not a typo – Citroën is targeting a price below £15,000 for the new 2CV EV. And while we don’t have all the details yet, the company has made it clear that this won’t simply be a modern car wearing a famous badge.
Instead, Citroën wants to bring back the original car’s philosophy of simplicity, practicality and accessible motoring.
Let’s be honest – the original 2CV wasn’t exactly a conventional-looking car. It was slow, quirky and incredibly simple.
But that was the whole point.
The 2CV was designed to give ordinary people affordable access to personal transport. It eventually became one of the most recognisable cars in automotive history, giving millions of people freedom on four wheels.
Citroën wants the new version to follow that same philosophy.
The company says the Citroën 2CV EV will be inspired by the spirit of the original rather than simply relying on nostalgia. Affordability, lightweight design, practicality, versatility and distinctive character are all central to the project.
That’s quite a refreshing approach at a time when new cars are generally getting bigger, heavier and packed with more technology.
Don’t expect another enormous electric SUV wearing a famous badge.
The Citroën 2CV EV will be a compact electric model designed around accessible mobility. It will form part of Stellantis’ wider push to make electric cars more affordable.
The company hasn’t revealed the production car’s full dimensions yet, but the philosophy is clear: keep things simple, practical and affordable.
And that’s important.
The original 2CV became an icon partly because it looked completely different from everything else on the road. Citroën appears keen to give its electric successor a similarly distinctive character.
The new 2CV is being developed around the idea that less can sometimes be more.
Citroën isn’t trying to win the technology arms race by filling the car with unnecessary gadgets. Instead, the focus is on creating an affordable electric car that does the things most drivers actually need.
That philosophy could become one of the defining features of the Citroën 2CV EV.
Citroën CEO Xavier Chardon has made it clear that affordability will require compromises, but the company believes that’s a worthwhile trade-off if it means more people can afford an electric car.
It’s an approach that sounds remarkably similar to the philosophy behind the original 2CV.
This is arguably the most exciting part.
Citroën is targeting a price below £15,000 for the new 2CV EV.
It’s important to point out that this is a target rather than a confirmed UK showroom price at this stage, and we don’t yet know exactly how the final pricing structure will work.
However, if Citroën can deliver a new electric car for less than £15,000, it could completely change the conversation around affordable EVs.
It would also put the Citroën 2CV EV firmly into the budget end of the electric-car market, where buyers have relatively few options.
For anyone who has been put off electric cars because of their purchase price, a genuinely affordable new EV could be a very interesting proposition.
That’s one question we simply can’t answer yet.
Citroën hasn’t revealed the final performance figures, battery capacity, range or charging specifications, so any detailed numbers being reported at this stage should be treated with caution.
What we do know is that the Citroën 2CV EV isn’t being developed as a high-performance EV.
The priority is affordability, practicality and everyday usability.
For a small city car, that could actually make a lot of sense. There’s little point carrying around an enormous battery if most journeys are short trips to work, school, the shops or the train station.
For a car like the Citroën 2CV EV, that approach could make a lot of sense.
If Citroën can keep the weight and cost under control while providing enough range for everyday driving, the 2CV EV could have a very interesting proposition.
If you’re considering electric cars more generally, our guide to buying a used electric car looks at some of the advantages and disadvantages of EV ownership.
We don’t have to wait until 2028 to see it.
Citroën has confirmed that more details about the new 2CV-inspired model will be revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October 2026.
That should give us our first proper look at the production-bound design, along with more information about its technology, specifications and pricing.
Production is planned to begin in 2028 as part of Stellantis’ wider affordable electric-car strategy.
The company has also made it clear that the new model is being developed with accessible electric mobility in mind, rather than as an expensive retro-inspired special edition.
That’s the big question.
Electric cars have become considerably more common, but the cheapest new EVs are still significantly more expensive than many petrol cars on the used market.
The new 2CV is part of Stellantis’ attempt to tackle that problem by developing smaller, simpler electric vehicles that can be sold at much lower prices.
It also fits into the wider shift towards more affordable, compact EVs.
For Citroën, bringing back the 2CV name makes sense because the original car already has a reputation for doing more with less.
That’s where the Citroën 2CV EV could have its biggest impact.
You can read more about the changing electric-car market in our guide to the UK Electric Car Mandate.
The new 2CV EV is certainly an interesting gamble.
Purists will inevitably question whether an electric car can really carry the legendary 2CV name. But the original 2CV was never about performance, luxury or having the latest technology.
It was about being affordable, practical and giving people freedom.
That’s exactly what Citroën says it wants to achieve again.
If the company can recreate that philosophy with a modern electric car while keeping the price below £15,000, the Citroën 2CV EV could be one of the most interesting small EVs to arrive in the UK.
We’ll find out much more when Citroën reveals the new 2CV at the Paris Motor Show in October 2026.
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