Citroen India’s First EV, eC3 Hatchback, Breaks Cover With 320km Range

• Citroen eC3 looks similar to its ICE variant, but gets white exterior trim bits. 

• It has a 29.2kWh battery pack capable of fast-charging up to 80 per cent in 57 minutes. 

• Powered by a 57PS e-motor, good for 0-60kmph in 6.8 seconds and 107kmph tops. 

• Features unchanged from C3: 10.2-inch touchscreen, dual airbags and manual AC. 

• Launch in February, prices expected to start at around Rs 8.99 lakh (ex-showroom). 

• Pre-launch bookings to commence on January 22, launch in Feb. 

Citroen has taken the wraps off its first electric car in India, the eC3 electric hatchback. The electric C3 is based on the ICE-powered hatchback. It will be available to book from January 22 onwards, with the display vehicles reaching showrooms and the launch set for February 2023.  We expect prices to start around the Rs 8.99 lakh (ex-showroom) mark.  

Design and interior

On the outside, the Citroen C3 looks largely the same as the standard ICE-powered C3, but gets a white roof and outer rearview mirrors. You’d only be able to tell the ICE and EV apart by looking at the fog lamp surrounds and side cladding trim elements – the ICE variant has black or orange surrounds, but in the EV they are white. That said, the EV will be available with customisation options, including the Vibe Pack (offered with the ICE model) that adds orange surrounds to the EV as well.

The eC3 EV will be offered with four monotone and nine dual-tone paint options in Polar White, Zesty Orange, Platinum Grey and Steel Grey base colours. Similar to the ICE car, the EV will be available in Live and Feel trim levels.  

Inside, too, the eC3 is identical to its ICE sibling except for the toggle switch replacing the gear lever. The dashboard will get two trim options, Anodized Grey and Anodized Orange, and the overall layout is the same as the ICE version. 

Features 

The features list includes the 10.2-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, manual AC, four speaker audio system, keyless entry, digitised driver’s display and My Citroen Connect connected car features. As for the safety features, the electric C3 will stick to government-mandated equipment that includes ABS, dual front airbags, rear parking sensors and seat belt reminder.  

Powertrain and battery 

The eC3 gets a 29.2kWh Lithium-ion battery pack that powers an electric motor developing 57PS and 143Nm. This setup gives the front-wheel drive electric hatch a nought to 60kmph time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 107kmph. The EV has an ARAI-certified range of 320km.  

As for the warranty, Citroen India will be offering a seven-year / 1.4 lakh km coverage on the battery, five-year / 1 lakh km on the motor and three-year / 1.25 lakh km on the vehicle. The option to extend the warranty will also be available.  

Charging

The electric C3 supports fast-charging capability, and juicing it up from 10-80 per cent takes 57 minutes using a DC fast-charger. Using a 15amp plug point takes 10.5 hours to top up from 10 per cent (up to 100 per cent).

As for the carmaker’s charging infrastructure in India, Citroen has tied up with Jio-BP for developing its fast charging network. 

We expect the eC3 to be priced from around Rs 8.99 lakh. It will rival the Tata Tiago EV in the country.