PCA Motors and Citroen have finally taken the wraps off the eC3, the all-electric version of the C3 hatchback that is already on sale in India. The company is set to announce the zero-emission car’s price in the coming days. Citroen will also be exporting the eC3 from India, a move which will its sales volumes a boost, which have been disappointingly low.
The bookings for the Citroen eC3 will commence from January 22, 2023 and the EV will be available in showrooms from next month.
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.
ARAI-certified range of 320km
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 produces 57hp and 143Nm of peak torque. The eC3 has an ARAI-certified range of 320km on a single charge. It gets two driving modes – eco and standard – and also gets regenerative braking.
Citroen says that the eC3 can do the 0-60kph run 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% in 57 minutes. On a home charger, the battery can top-up from 10-100% 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.
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 is offering a 7-year/140,000km warranty on the battery pack, a 5 year/100,000km warranty on the electric motor and a 3-year/125,000km warranty on the car itself.
Citroen India inks partnership with Jio-bp
With the launch of the Citroen e-C3 planned in Q1 2023, Citroen India has inked a strategic partnership with Jio-bp, a fuels and mobility joint venture between Reliance Industries and bp to build EV infrastructure and services across its network. An EV fast charging facility powered by Jio-bp pulse will be available across key Citroen dealerships across India, and also be open to other EV car customers to help boost EV adoption in the country.
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