New Renault and Citroën facing BYD and Leapmotor: the Paris Motor Show returns on Monday to Paris with new electric products intended to revive the market, on the European side but also on the Chinese side, while the sector is in full slowdown.
Registration figures for September in France were the worst in the last 20 years, and order intake the worst in the last 10 years. In Europe, the transition to electric cars is stalling.
But the Paris show wants to be a celebration of the automobile, with 48 exhibiting brands and numerous new electric models, including the highly anticipated Renault 4 and 5, Peugeot 3008 and Citroën C3.
Presented to the public for the first time on Monday morning, the electric Renault 4 plays on nostalgia for the old model, a success around the world, but also aims to attract new generations with its round shapes and practical details.
A do-it-all car, the Renault 4 must complete Renault’s electric offering for the middle classes, with the smaller Renault 5 and the future Twingo.
Also playing on this democratization, Citroën is presenting the electric C3 and C3 Aircross.
While the French government has announced an increase in penalties on gasoline and diesel cars, which is enraging the sector, Emmanuel Macron is expected at the show on Monday afternoon, after having received the leaders of the sector for dinner on Sunday evening.
“This visit will be an opportunity to show support for the sector, in particular for innovation and production, in line with the objectives of the France 2030 plan as well as the European objectives of the sector, resolutely focused on electrification”, indicated the Elysée on Sunday evening.
Carlos Tavares for Stellantis, Luca de Meo for Renault and Oliver Zipse for BMW, after presenting the new products of their brands on Monday, will come to explain their vision of mobility during conferences on Tuesday. The CGT promises a demonstration in front of the salon on Thursday.
– Chinese offensive –
As for foreign manufacturers, the Volkswagen group (Audi, Skoda), BMW-Mini and Kia are making a comeback after a few years of absence.
Tesla also makes an unexpected appearance to show its huge Cybertruck SUV, and Cadillac marks its return to Europe with imposing electric models.
Above all, Chinese manufacturers of electric and hybrid cars are arriving in numbers: the generalist BYD, Leapmotor (Stellantis brand), the luxurious Hongqi, the technophile XPeng, Maxus (utility vehicles) or Skyworth (subsidiary of an electronics group) present their vehicles for Europe.
“It’s going to be an automobile festival for a week in Paris,” rejoiced Luc Chatel, the boss of the Automobile Platform (PFA), which co-organizes the show. “We are going to present both great innovations, but also beautiful cars. The Paris Motor Show is the alliance between passion and reason,” he underlined.
If luxury car manufacturers are absent from this general public show, some Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Porsche and racing car models must be presented, between the vehicle testing center, exhibitions on the history of the automobile and the karting track.
Alpine, the premium brand that the Renault group wants to grow, will present the cutting style of its future sports models through its A390_β concept.
Small French manufacturers like Delage, Devalliet, Pantore or PGO also intend to benefit from this spotlight.
While the Geneva show had its last edition this winter, the Paris Motor Show is trying to renew itself and has revised its price offers downward to attract more exhibitors. The show expects to attract 500,000 visitors, with tickets from 18 to 22 euros per entry depending on the day.
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