The Citroën ë-C5 Aircross EV has gone on sale in the UK, offering 421 miles of range for £32,935.
The relatively low price for the Long Range version is thanks to it becoming eligible for the UK government's full £3750 Electric Car Grant (ECG), becoming only the third EV to do so.
The larger grant applies only to the Long Range variant, because its battery cells are produced in France. Those in the standard Comfort Range version are not, so it qualifies for the lesser £1500 grant.
While 38 sub-£37k EVs have now been named eligible for the ECG scheme, only two of those – the Ford Puma Gen-E and Ford E-Tourneo Courier – had been given the higher, £3750 amount, with the other 36 landing a £1500 discount. But the addition of Citroën's mid-sized electric SUV to that list makes it one of the longest-range cars at its price point.
It also means that the Long Range version is only £370 more than an equivalent Comfort Range car, despite having 99 miles more range per charge.
Eligibility for the ECG is determined using a set of technical and sustainability criteria outlined by the UK government, which largely hinge around the environmental credentials of the car's main components, taking into account the impact of sourcing, production and shipping.
Announcing the latest addition to the scheme, the government said more than 30,000 drivers have "made the switch thanks to the grant, which is helping to boost demand, support jobs and grow the economy".
Greg Taylor, managing director of Citroën UK, said: "It’s really important to us at Citroën that the transition to electrification is made as accessible as possible, and we price all of our vehicles accordingly.
"The ë-C5 Aircross Long Range is the first vehicle of its size and type to receive the full grant, which is testament to the hard work of the team at Citroën to make cars that are practical for all.
"We welcome the support the UK government is providing to make the transition to electric attainable and are proud that Citroën continues to lead the way."
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Instead of tax-payer subsidies for certain EVs, the UK government could instead put tarrifs on imported ones, especially those from China that are currently being dumped on our market and are going to hasten the demise of our car industry.
Of course the SMMT is compromised, because the big dealer chains (the traders) don't care where the cars come from or who earns a living from making them, so long as they have a margin to work with.