Citroen has finally taken the wraps off the eC3, the all-electric version of the C3 hatchback that is already on sale in India, with a price announcement in the coming days. Citroen will also be exporting the eC3 from India, and give its sales volumes a boost, which have been disappointingly low.
The bookings for the Citroen eC3 will commence from January 22 and it will be available in showrooms from next month.
- Citroen eC3 gets 29.2kWh battery pack
- Has Tiago EV in its sights
- Prices will be announced in the coming days
Citroen eC3: styling details
The Citroen eC3 looks identical to its petrol-powered counterpart inside out. The only exterior difference is the lack of a tailpipe and a new charging port located on the front fender. The interior, meanwhile, gets a slightly revised centre console, with a new drive controller that replaces the manual gear lever. All other exterior body panels, interior and mechanicals, which have already been localised for the petrol-powered C3, remain unchanged.
This has been done to optimise costs for the eC3 and sharing parts and components with its ICE counterpart will help achieve better economies of scale.
Citroen eC3: powertrain, charging and competition
The Citroen eC3 gets a 29.2kWh battery pack that is being sourced from Chinese firm Svolt, although Citroen is looking to localise it in the longer run. The Citroen EV comes with a 3.3kW onboard AC charger and is also capable of CCS2 fast charging. The eC3’s front-axle-mounted electric motor produce churns out 57hp and 143Nm of peak torque. The eC3 has an ARAI-certified range of 320km. It gets two driving modes – eco and standard – and also gets regenerative braking.
Citroen says that the eC3 can do 0-60kph in 6.8 seconds and has a top-speed of 107kph. As far as charging goes, it is compatible with DC Fast Charging where it can charge from 10-80 percent in 57 minutes. On a home charger, the battery can top-up from 10-100 percent in 10.5 hours.
The eC3 is being squarely aimed at the Tata Tiago EV, which uses a 24kWh battery pack in its higher spec for an ARAI-rated range of 315km. We have compared the specifications of the eC3 and Tiago EV, read about it here to see how they fare on paper.
Citroen eC3: features and safety
Like its petrol-powered counterpart, the Citroen eC3 also comes in two variants – Live and Feel. The features on the eC3 are similar to the ICE model with the higher-spec Feel getting a 10.2-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, four-speaker audio system and height-adjustable driver’s seat. The eC3 additionally features connected car tech with MyCitroen Connect app with 35 features. It lets you check the car’s charging status, its location and navigate to the nearest charging station. As far as safety features go, it gets dual airbags and ABS with EBD.
Citroen eC3: warranty details
Citroen is offering a 7 year/1,40,000km warranty on the battery pack, a 5 year/1,00,000km warranty on the electric motor and a 3 year/1,25,000km warranty on the car itself.
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