Europe’s automakers revive classic models to challenge Chinese EVs

what happened

According to Newsmetry API, European automakers are turning to models associated with earlier decades as they seek to withstand the challenge from Chinese electric-vehicle manufacturers. Renault has revived the 5, Citroen is bringing back the 2CV as an EV, and Volkswagen’s electric Polo draws on the design language of the Golf’s 1980s heyday. The companies hope familiarity and nostalgia will help their cars stand apart from a widening field of Chinese rivals and persuade buyers to choose an EV.

The stakes are substantial. European EV demand has risen sharply as fuel prices have climbed, but Chinese manufacturers including BYD and Geely held nearly 11% of the region’s market in the second quarter, Schmidt Automotive Research estimates. Their vehicles are frequently less expensive than those from European brands and are often equipped with more advanced technology. As local automakers work to reduce costs and close that technology gap, their longer history is becoming one of the few advantages that newer Chinese entrants cannot easily reproduce.

Renault has already seen encouraging results. The electric Renault 5, whose original version debuted in 1972, has been Europe’s best-selling mid-sized EV so far this year and helped the group raise first-half revenue by 9%. Stellantis displayed an electric interpretation of the iconic Citroen 2CV, manufactured from 1948 to 1990, at this week’s Paris Autoshow. Volkswagen’s electric Polo is part of an affordable-EV range intended to compete with Chinese brands. Buyers can also select a retro dashboard setting that imitates the speedometer of an early Golf and plays music through a virtual cassette tape.

Renault Group design chief Laurens van den Acker said the aim is to stand apart while creating an emotional connection. Some customers appear receptive. Chris Litchfield, a 51-year-old Briton who grew up around Renault 5s, purchased his first EV in May and chose a yellow electric version. He said the desire to own the new car outweighed his reservations about switching to an EV, adding that its identity as a Renault 5 was the main attraction. Volkswagen chief designer Andreas Mindt said the retro dashboard feature was initially intended as a joke, but “people love it”.

Stellantis hopes its electric 2CV will appeal both to committed fans of the compact original and to a wider group seeking an affordable EV. Robert Dooley, a senior design strategist at Car Design Research, said the prominence of retro styling in small European EVs was notable because that is where Chinese brands are expected to exert the greatest price pressure. With margins already low in the small-car segment, he added, any feature that adds even a little perceived value is likely to be welcomed.

There are limits to the formula. In Europe, where families can remain attached to particular models and designs for generations, retro branding may have more potential than in other markets, but it may not work indefinitely. Van den Acker said icons have a limited moment and that manufacturers must identify the right opportunity, since one generation’s favorite can be replaced by another’s. Volkswagen’s earlier efforts offer a warning: strong opening interest in the ID. Buzz electric microbus weakened in the US as consumers objected to its price and driving range. The Beetle, a classic design that had moved beyond its Nazi-era origins through 1960s counterculture, did not enter the EV era and was discontinued in 2019 as buyers shifted toward SUVs.

Mindt said Volkswagen also could not rely on its past and needed to excel in capabilities such as fast charging and autonomous driving. The approach carries a risk of disappointing enthusiasts as well. Before the electric 2CV launch, Citroen asked collectors of the original car what should remain. They pointed to its affordability, ease of driving and distinctive soft top. Thierry Jouanny, head of a French 2CV collectors’ club and owner of a 1951 model, said the new vehicle would also need to preserve the hard-to-define emotional quality that made the original stand out.

why it matters

Chinese EV competition is pushing European manufacturers to compete on more than price and technology. The reception of retro-based models may shape how established brands defend their position in the mass-market EV segment.

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