Past and future: How Citroën and Big Issue changemakers are driving change for good

Citroën is a company that, through its long history, has always strived to better people’s lives. Not just the lives of those who buy its cars, but of the people who work for the company and the communities surrounding it. That’s why Big Issue is partnering with Citroën to charge up the change-making potential of one of Britain’s anti-poverty trailblazers.

Each January in our Changemakers edition, Big Issue celebrates fearless innovators and creative thinkers pouring their energy into finding solutions for problems in their communities and the world at large. And this year, thanks to Citroën, we are boosting the vital work of one lucky Changemaker – Matthew’s House in Swansea – with a free 12-month loan of a Citroën electric ë-Berlingo Van. This incredible charity creates a warm, welcoming environment for the people of Swansea, including anyone experiencing poverty, homelessness or any other issues.

Citroën’s generous support for Matthew’s House builds on over a century of forward-thinking innovations. The company was founded in 1919 by André Citroën, who focused not only on technical and engineering evolution, but also offered employees unusually high levels of benefits including medical and dental facilities, a gym and a creche for his workers’ children.

Its most famous model, the 2CV, was designed to be ultra-affordable and practical – a vehicle for everyone, like no one – in order to mobilise those French farmers that still relied on horse power. Yet, the 2CV became far more than just agricultural transport – it became an innovative design icon and, more importantly, it provided affordable transport to some 3.8 million motorists right up until it went out of production in 1990.

Like Big Issue, helping the ordinary person with simple, accessible choices was always a chief concern for Citroën, and that ethos remains central today.

The UK government aims to ensure that electric vehicles (EVs) are the future, enforcing ambitious targets on manufacturers and traders to ensure that 22% of car sales and 10% of van sales in 2023 are electric.

One barrier is that EVs are still frequently perceived as a preserve of the wealthy. However, this last year has seen Citroën strive to make its electric cars attainable to people on lower incomes, with lower prices and better efficiency in many of its electric models, including the cushy delight that is the ë-C4 – one of the most affordable ways into a spacious, long-range family electric car.

But it’s the new Citroën ë-C3 that is really shaking up the establishment. Crowned ‘Car of the Year’, ‘Affordable Electric Car of the Year’ and ‘Best Small Electric Car’ at Auto Express and Carbuyer Awards, this new five-seat hatchback is a lightweight, compact little car. At just over four metres long it’s a very similar size to the previous Citroën C3. And it’s small enough to be smug-inducingly wieldy in the most awkward of spots, yet it’s also big enough to be a useful family car for all occasions. It gets a WLTP range (the standardised measure of distance it’s possible to travel on a single charge) of 199 miles, with rapid charging for a 20-80% top-up in 26 minutes.

It’s not just for short hops in town, then, yet the ë-C3 costs from just £21,990 even if you want the contrast roof with rather lovely dusky blue paint, air-con, auto lights and wipers, heated side mirrors, lane-keep assist, autonomous emergency braking… You get the gist. Here’s a properly functional, super comfy and smart-looking electric car that’s a similar price to equivalent petrol and hybrid rivals. It’s the Citroën spirit of putting people at the heart of their brand – with zero-emissions driving that costs the same to buy as other small cars, and costs less to run. Win-win.

Citroën’s appetite for innovation has never let up, as demonstrated in the compact urban solution that is the Ami, and the no-nonsense Citroën ë-C3 with its hydraulic ‘cushions’ for ultra-comfy manners, and head-up display to keep manufacturing costs down while providing the driver with all the information and visibility to maintain top-notch safety standards.

As with the ë-C4, ë-Berlingo, ë-SpaceTourer and other electric models in Citroën’s versatile range, it all caters to the brand’s ambitions to provide simple yet comfortable vehicles that unite the family, simplify work needs and make electric motoring more attainable to all.

These are just a few reasons why Citroën couldn’t be a better fit as headline sponsors for this Changemakers edition of The Big Issue: whether it’s progressive engineering, entrepreneurial economics, breaking down social barriers or simply extending a helping hand, Citroën has always aimed for improvement within itself, in order to better help others.

As Big Issue powers forward with Citroën in 2025, and continues to celebrate fellow innovators and changemakers across the UK in every field – from transport, financial aid and community support to shelter projects, food banks and health – in the end, we’re always about driving change for good, together.

Learn more about Citroën’s new ë-C3 at: citroen.co.uk/models/new-e-c3.html