Hero Image

Bugatti plans electric car for less than 1 million euros

FRANKFURT: Bugatti Automobiles is looking to broaden its appeal by flanking the 2.5 million euros ($2.7 million) Chiron supercar with a slightly more accessible alternative. The potential second model line would be an electric-powered grand tourer or crossover that could seat up to four people and would cost between 500,000 euros and 1 million euros.




The French boutique manufacturer is in discussions within parent Volkswagen AG about the investment, Bugatti chief executive officer Stephan Winkelmann said in an interview at Bloomberg’s office in Berlin.

“The industry is changing fundamentally, and we have to address what opportunities there are to develop Bugatti as a brand going forward,” Winkelmann said. He acknowledged that it’s a “hard fight” to secure funds for such a niche project. The plan shows how even automakers decoupled from the day-to-day realities of transport are grappling with the gradual end of the combustion-engine era.

For Bugatti, it’s less about emissions and more about the changing definition of progress and innovation.

Winkelmann, who ran Volkswagen’s Lamborghini brand, is trying to make Bugatti viable enough to survive outside German auto group and head off the risk of being phased out once again. Since the 2015 diesel-cheating scandal, Volkswagen has been taking a closer look at its portfolio.

READ ON APP