EV ‘wave is coming’ says Citroen boss

A wave of electric vehicle demand is coming, according to Citroen’s executive vice president.

Vincent Cobee spoke during the reveal of Citroen’s latest C4 – and electric e-C4 – citing that as policies and governments change throughout Europe, so will the attitude towards EVs as viable modes of transport.

He said: “The wave is coming. Just look at government policies and the recent elections across Europe – the writing is on the wall.

“There’s growing demand around the world for clean mobility.

“It’s obvious that with the addition of government benefits it’ll make the cost of electric vehicle ownership extremely competitive.”

Citroen is placing great emphasis on its electric future, with this latest C4 available not only in petrol and diesel form but electric too. Cobee believes that as policies shift – particularly in inner-city areas – EVs could become cheaper to own than their internal combustion-engined equivalents, stating that “there are a number of cities where regulation will become more and more stringent about the type of cars which can enter.

“They’ll make combustion engine solutions more expensive.”

Cobee also believed that the coronavirus pandemic will act as a significant catalyst for change, with people reevaluating the way they go about their lives, and the environmental impact they have. “The last four months have been a transformation for society,” he said. “It’s fair to expect that the unexpected to happen, and perhaps to find the speed for which EVs [are in demand] increasing”