Citroën Launches Affordable EV: The ë-C3
Citroën is set to launch its first affordable electric vehicle (EV) this October, with the ë-C3 joining the Citroën C3 range. The ë-C3 will be priced below €25,000 in France and around £25,000 in the UK. Citroën has stated that the EV version will become the lead offering in its B-hatchback range, representing a bold attempt by the Stellantis group to address the issue of affordable EVs. The new ë-C3 will have a range of more than 186 miles and will be based on a platform that Citroën claims is “BEV-native”.
The Importance of the C3 Range
Citroën has stressed the importance of the C3 to its range, with sales topping 5.5 million since the model first appeared in 1993. The new C3 range will be offered in a much-simplified three-level range, each with a maximum of five options. Citroën CEO Thierry Koskas plans to offer fair price transparency, an attempt to reduce discounting, although he still said the prices would “not be frozen” and there would still be room for some negotiation.
The Fear of European Car Manufacturers
The fear in recent years has been that Europe’s car manufacturers would concentrate on building expensive EVs and allow rivals, principally Chinese, first to capture the low-end EV market and then to move into more expensive sectors at their leisure. Citroën has launched a fightback, and it’s rather a surprise that it will begin as early as October this year. The forthcoming ë-C3 is a brand new, affordable and European-made EV coming to reinforce a meagre range of small European EVs, such as the redoubtable Renault Zoe, which it undercuts considerably.
Technical Details of the ë-C3
For now, Citroën isn’t quoting technical details, revealing only that the ë-C3 will be around four metres long, be comfortable and up to date, and have a range of more than 186 miles. The new C3 will be identical in its major dimensions to the current ICE C3. It will have a strong relationship with the C3 introduced to India last year and then to South America. This uses what Stellantis confusingly calls its Smart Car platform, an adapted and improved version of the familiar CMF-B assembly already widely in use.
Simplicity and Price Transparency
Recently arrived Citroën CEO Thierry Koskas plans to offer simplicity and fair price transparency with the new C3 range. He believes this simplicity will aid buyers who are often confused and frustrated by range complexity and will also streamline the production system at Citroën’s factory in Slovakia. He sees maintaining prices at near-quoted levels as “a matter of discipline”.
Conclusion
Citroën is leading the charge for affordable EVs in Europe with the launch of the ë-C3 this October. The new EV will be priced below €25,000 in France and around £25,000 in the UK, making it an affordable option for buyers. Citroën has stressed the importance of the C3 to its range, with sales topping 5.5 million since the model first appeared in 1993. The new C3 range will be offered in a much-simplified three-level range, each with a maximum of five options, with fair price transparency to reduce discounting. Citroën’s fightback against Chinese manufacturers is a welcome move for the European EV market.