A few days ago, Citroën lifted the veil on its electric car for less than 20,000 euros: the Citroën ë-C3. This is an updated version of the Indian electric C3. But everything is not so rosy in the story of this new affordable electric car.
The new Citroën ë-C3 promises to be one of the bestseller of the brand. It must be said that from 23,300 euros (eligible for the ecological bonus of 5,000 euros), the new French electric car does not really have any competitors. We recently compared it to the Dacia Spring to try to see more clearly between the two cars. Better, a version will even be offered from 19,900 euros, but with reduced autonomy.
The big question everyone is asking is: how did Citroën manage to design an affordable electric car that is so attractive on paper? With more than 320 km of autonomy, very fast charging, comfort that promises to be up to the mark and interesting on-board technologies. Raphaëlle Bautjournalist for the media Numeramabrings us more context in its weekly newsletter Watt Else.
An electric car with Indian origins
Let us remember above all that the new ë-C3 is based on the Indian electric C3 which has been on the market for several months. But be careful, because the French manufacturer has made a lot of modifications to the Indian model. The European model therefore no longer has anything to do with itwhether in technical terms (engine, battery and therefore autonomy, etc.) but also in design, comfort and infotainment.
Indeed, we can read in the Numerama newsletter that “ the model has of course been revised by the French teams to meet European standards and expectations: design, engine and above all safety. A necessary step, because this C3 (Indian base) had miserably failed the LatinNCAP crash tests. Another outstanding point: what will happen to its reliability? »
If we rely on the results of the South American crash test, it is true that the Citroën C3 sold in emerging markets does not really appeal, with its zero stars (out of five). But fortunately, Citroën has modified its car from top to bottom, so that the electric ë-C3 passes European tests. We will now have to wait for the EuroNCAP note.
A European electric car?
The newsletter also allows us to address a slightly more political point about this new electric car: “ voices are still being raised internally at Citroën to denounce a development subcontracted at low cost in India, well disguised and sold as a European production (thanks to its assembly in Slovakia)“. This is of course a bell ringing, but it seems that this electric car is not 100% Europeandue to its base and the start of its development program in India.
Whatever happens, the Citroën ë-C3 will always be more “European” than the MG4, produced in China, or even the Dacia Spring, also produced in China. This is what will allow the future electric car of the herringbone brand to benefit from the future ecological bonus which is trying to block the way for Chinese electric cars.