In its latest teaser, Citroen has revealed the eC3 moniker for its upcoming all-electric version of the C3 hatchback. As per reports, the Citroen eC3 EV will make it to the market in January 2023. Citroen will manufacture the electric hatchback locally in India. In fact, it will also export it to the markets abroad.
The eC3 will use a 30.2kWh battery pack sourced from Chinese firm Svolt. Although Citroen is looking to localise the same in the longer run. The Citroen EV will carry a 3.3kW onboard AC charger and will have the capability of CCS2 fast charging. The eC3’s front-axle-mounted electric motor will produce close to 63 kW (86 HP) and 143 Nm of peak torque.
Upon launch, the eC3 will go up against the Tata Tiago EV. This electric hatchback from Tata uses a 24kWh battery pack in its higher spec for an ARAI-rated range of 315 km. So we assume that the eC3 will have an ARAI-rated range of around 350 km.
The eC3 will pretty look much identical to its ICE counterpart, inside out. The only exterior difference could be the lack of a tailpipe and a new charging port located on the front fender. The interior, meanwhile, will get some upgrades. This might include a revised centre console, with a new drive controller that’ll replace the manual gear lever. All other exterior body panels, interior and mechanicals are most likely to remain the same. All of these have already been localised for the petrol-powered C3.
This has been done keeping in mind the costs for the eC3. The sharing of parts and components with its ICE counterpart will help achieve better economies of scale. Affordable pricing remains the biggest challenge for EVs in India today. But Citroen is confident that they’ll price the car pretty competitively. As of now, we do not have any official price figures. But, it’s safe to assume it will fall around INR 10 lakh-12 lakh price bracket.
Also Read: Citroen will add more features to C3 in India.