The 91st Mondial de l'Auto opened to the public today at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles after a packed press day on Monday. The message from Paris is clear: Europe's carmakers think the next wave of EV growth comes from small, affordable, characterful cars, and they are leaning hard on their back catalogues to sell them.
91st
edition of the Mondial de l'Auto, running 12–18 October 2026
60+
manufacturers across 5 halls at Porte de Versailles
9
concept cars from 8 Stellantis brands
500K+
visitors expected by organisers
The headline reveals
Citroën 2CV concept and 2CV Fourgonette
The star of the show is a modern, all-electric take on the 2CV. Citroën previewed the concept the night before the show, then surprised everyone on press day with a van version, the 2CV Fourgonette. Citroën hasn't given battery or range figures yet, but the brand says the production car is aimed squarely at affordable mobility and cheap Chinese rivals. Sales are expected in 2028, with UK estimates around £13,000.
Renault E-Space concept
Renault has turned its 1984 Espace into a boxy electric MPV concept, 4.70 m long, 2.0 m wide and 1.67 m tall. Inside are six individually rotating seats and a new full-width "OpenR Panorama" display that will also appear in the Rafale and Scenic. Renault hasn't released battery or range figures, but says it will bring LFP chemistry across its EV range. Renault also brought the facelifted Megane E-Tech, a Twingo with a new panoramic roof and the just-for-fun 8 Gordini concept.
Smart #2
Nearly 30 years after the first Smart concept appeared in Paris, the brand is back with a 2.75 m electric two-seater. It uses a 35.8 kWh LFP battery and an 82 hp rear motor, with a targeted 180-mile (290 km) WLTP range, 65 kW DC charging (10–80% in about 20 minutes) and vehicle-to-load. Orders are due to open in spring 2027.
Leapmotor B03
Stellantis-backed Leapmotor revealed the B03 hatchback, a direct rival to the Renault 5 and VW ID.Polo. It gets a 53 kWh LFP pack, 242 miles (389 km) of WLTP range, 133 kW charging (10–80% in 21 minutes) and a 194 hp front motor. European sales start in early 2027.
Audi A2 e-tron
The new A2 e-tron made its public debut, reviving the name of Audi's late-1990s aluminium hatchback. It offers up to 84 kWh of battery and up to 397 miles (639 km) of WLTP range, with UK deliveries from early 2027.
WLTP range of the new production EVs shown in Paris:
WLTP range: new EVs at Paris 2026
Manufacturer WLTP range, largest battery where several are offered. Smart #2 figure is a target. Data: Electrifying (October 2026).
Audi A2 e-tron (top battery)
Renault Trafic E-Tech (top battery)
Stellantis goes all in
Stellantis arrived with eight brands, more than 60 vehicles and nine concept cars on a 5,340 m² stand, the biggest presence of any group. Beyond Citroën, the highlights were:
- Peugeot RCZ Vision and E-T16 concepts, the second giving the clearest look yet at the next E-208, due next year
- Fiat Multiplay, an MPV that converts into a pickup, and Multiplina, a stretched Topolino
- DS Fever concept, previewing the next DS3, alongside the DS N°7 going on sale
- Opel (Vauxhall in the UK) STX concept, signalling a new design direction
- Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso concept, with flexible powertrains promised
Tesla brings the Cybercab to Paris
Tesla is exhibiting the Cybercab, its two-seat robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals, on stand C25 in Hall 7.1. According to the show's organisers, the car on display comes from Tesla's US Robotaxi fleet in Austin, where Cybercab started carrying public riders in September, rather than being a static concept. Visitors can't ride in it. It isn't the car's first trip to Paris, though: Tesla displayed a Cybercab at its Madeleine store in late 2024.
The stand also has the Model 3, Model Y, Optimus Gen 2 humanoid robot, Tesla Energy products and a Supercharger. Tesla is offering free test drives in six cars running FSD (Supervised) throughout the week. There's no Cybercab service announced for Europe yet. Tesla says European drivers have logged more than 100 million km on FSD (Supervised), and an EU-wide approval decision is expected in December.
Chinese brands: present but quiet
BYD showed its new Atto 8 seven-seat electric SUV and the Dolphin G plug-in hybrid. Denza displayed the Bao 5 off-roader, Z9GT and D9, GAC's Aion brand revealed an updated UT and a range-extended flagship SUV, and Geely brought the Monjaro EM-i plug-in. Avatr, Aito, Li Auto, Lynk & Co and Forthing are also on site. Compared with this spring's Beijing show, though, the Chinese reveals were muted, and European brands took most of the attention.
Who else is there, and who isn't
Volvo gave the EX60 its proper public debut, Skoda showed the production Epiq and Peaq, Volkswagen brought the Mission Efficiency concept, Hyundai previewed the new Tucson and the Staria-based ST1 electric van, and Alpine unveiled the A310 Vision concept. Renault's Trafic E-Tech van, with up to 81 kWh and 292 miles, also made its show debut. BMW and Mini skipped Paris entirely, so there is no Neue Klasse on display.
Visiting the show
The Mondial de l'Auto is open to the public from Tuesday 13 to Sunday 18 October 2026 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, across Halls 4, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6 and 7.1. Doors open at 09:30 daily, with late openings until 22:00 on Friday and Saturday. The main public entrance is Gate A2, next to the Porte de Versailles metro and tram station. Tickets are sold through mondial.paris.
What Paris 2026 tells us
Paris 2026 is a show about affordable, characterful EVs rather than supercars. Retro names like the 2CV, Espace and A2 are being used to sell small, efficient electric cars, LFP batteries are becoming standard at the cheaper end, and the MPV is quietly making a comeback. Most of these cars won't reach US showrooms, but the shift toward cheaper EVs in Europe is a preview of the price pressure every market will feel next.
