Citroen confirms new electric 2 CV for 2028

Sub-£15k EV coming soon; 2 CV Concept hints at what we have to look forward to

By Matt Bird / Sunday, 11 October 2026 / Loading comments

With Renault enjoying such runaway success with its retro-themed small EVs, it wasn’t going to be long before Citroen responded with its own sepia-toned effort. And what greater classic Citroen to resurrect than the 2 CV? The most famous car to ever wear the chevrons, an icon of post-war mobility and arguably even one of France’s greatest exports, the reborn Deux Chevaux was long overdue.

It’s the perfect thing for such treatment: never much power or performance in the first place, so nobody will mind doing away with combustion. An unmistakable look that can be modernised without being bastardised. A go-anywhere, do-anything utilitarian chic that’s very much cool again. And a car always designed with short journeys in mind, so there’s no expectation of an enormous range. Making, say, an electric Citroen SM would be difficult; making an electric 2 CV sounds like a no-brainer.

Only a remake wasn’t the guiding principle. Instead the Concept is inspired by the same ideas as the 1948 original, rather than being beholden to it. For Citroen that means ‘redefining a sensible set of specifications that focuses on essential needs and eliminates the superfluous to offer greater freedom.’ Keep it simple, stupid, but for small electric cars. Citroen is designing this 2 CV for the new European E-Car regulations, meaning it’ll sit between Ami and C3 in the lineup (and physically speaking, if it’s anything like the 3.76m concept).

If the 2028 production car really can cost 15,000 euros or less, don’t expect it to go very far very quickly, but do expect to have a lot of fun doing it - that’s the 2 CV way. For Citroen, the aim is to ‘make electric mobility accessible to as many people as possible.’ Perhaps more than any other brand, Citroen is going to sell, say, 60,000 euros worth of cars much more easily with four 2 CVs than one large and luxurious EV. This is what they do better than pretty much anyone else. When they actually get right, of course.

The target weight of the 2 CV is a tonne, with simplifying measures throughout to save kilos (and euros). Flat surfaces (and bumpers separate from them) are easier to repair, for example. The wheels are larger (19-inch diameter) but the tyres are narrow by modern standards. The fabric roof really is nothing more than just a fabric roof. And the interior is pretty bare bones - while also being something pretty extraordinary indeed.

Citroen says the inside ‘remains true to the lifestyle embodied by this iconic model, being spacious, comfortable and connected’. So there’s tartan, of course, now yellow for an ‘energising finish’, Bakelite-style beige, a removable storage basket rather than a centre console and a single-spoke wheel on a cylinder; even if you hadn’t seen the outside, this thing screams 2 CV. While also catering to modern demands: there’s a Citroen Smart Vision Display for the driver and an eight-inch infotainment display that we’ll call ‘phygital’ just once because they have. It’s a touchscreen with buttons, again in theory offering everything that’s needed and nothing you don’t. The “Radioën” is a detachable radio that can also be a speaker for cool kids to carry around.

In fact (and entirely unsurprisingly), there’s a host of fun features in the concept that could make it to a real 2 CV. ‘Inspired by the original, yet free from nostalgia’ sums it up quite nicely, cute without being twee. Note the hare on the throttle and the tortoise on the brake, for example, the door bins designed for carrying eggs like the original (good for your protein now), the heart-shaped stickers and an electric motor sound that ‘echoes that of the 2 CV’. The front seats can be removed to properly chill while charging (or to sit and listen to the speaker in the park). You get the feeling that black won’t be offered on the palette (or at least not with a black interior as well), as that wouldn’t convey the same ‘optimism and vitality’ as the bright ones. The exterior colour here is Infra Red.

Citroen suggests that with the 2 CV concept it is ‘reinventing an idea that has lost none of its relevance.’ And it’s not often a car manufacturer makes so much sense. You don’t need hundreds of horsepower or hundreds of miles to make urban driving enjoyable: you need colour, comfort, a sense of fun and an affordable price. The 2 CV, with its retro Michelin font, vertical windscreen and funky LED lights, should be just that thing. Or even as a farm runaround once more - Citroen is already speaking of the ‘country 2 CV’, adaptable to all scenarios.

Citroen CEO Xavier Chardon said: “Reinventing the 2 CV isn’t about replicating a car from the past; it’s about reinventing what made it unique: its simplicity, its accessibility and the freedom it offered. With the 2 CV Concept, we’re bringing that spirit into today’s world to make electric mobility simpler, more human and more desirable. The world has changed. But the idea remains the same: to make life more beautiful with Citroën.” Which, well, which sounds like a great idea really. Renault has laid the foundations for contemporary EVs with a retro twist - now 2028 surely can’t come soon enough for Citroen.