In 2024, the first European-made economical electric car Citroen e-C3 will be launched
Stellantis
June 16 news, according to Reuters, the world’s third largest automaker Stellantis will launch its first European-made economical electric car in mid-October – the new Citroen e-C3, in response to fierce competition from Chinese manufacturers.
The Citroen eC3 is based on the C3 hatchback and shares most of its components with its ICE models.
The eC3 uses a 29.2kWh battery pack that sends energy to a front axle-mounted electric motor to produce 57hp and 143Nm of peak torque.
The powertrain has an ARAI-certified range of 320 kilometers.
The vehicle will be equipped with a 3.3kW charger capable of CCS2 fast charging, which can charge the battery from 10% to 100% in 10.5 hours when charging at home.
The Citroen eC3 will get two trim levels, Live and Feel.
The fully loaded Feel variant gets a 10.2-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a four-speaker audio system.
Safety kit includes dual airbags and ABS with EBD.
The eC3 also gets a smartphone-based MyCitroen Connect app that works in tandem with the car’s connectivity technology.
The French electric hatchback also has two driving modes, Eco and Standard, and supports a non-adjustable regenerative braking system.
Electric vehicles are generally more expensive than gasoline-powered vehicles, so European automakers plan to introduce cheaper models, encouraged by government subsidies.
France, for example, plans to subsidize electric cars produced in Europe because they have a lower carbon footprint than imported models.
At the same time, France also plans to implement a social leasing program to provide electric vehicles to low-income families at a price of about 100 euros (currently about 777 RMB) per month.
France’s electric car subsidy scheme, to be unveiled in October, will apply to new cars delivered from 2024, according to people familiar with the matter.
With high battery costs, European automakers are struggling to introduce affordable electric vehicles that generate sufficient returns.
Rival Tesla from the United States has slashed prices to increase pressure on them, while Chinese brands are preparing to penetrate the European market.
Volkswagen
In March, Volkswagen unveiled an electric concept car that was also designed to cost less than 25,000 euros, but it will be several years before the car goes into production.
Citroën’s French rival Renault plans to launch an all-electric Renault 5 “Made in France” next year, although the company has so far not disclosed its price.
Currently in the French market, the most affordable electric models are Renault Dacia Spring and Renault Twingo made in China, with prices of 21,000 Euros (currently about 163,000 RMB) and 25,000 Euros (currently about 194,000 RMB), but the latter Production will cease in mid-2024.
Citroen CEO Thierry Koskas told the media that the new e-C3 will be bigger than the two models mentioned above, while its price will be less than 25,000 euros. “Citroen has always produced affordable cars and now its role is to make electric mobility accessible to all,” he said.
Thierry Koskas also said: “There is nothing like it on the market today, and this car may also be a good choice to respond to the government’s leasing scheme.”
Koskas also claimed that the car, based on the smart car architecture that Stellantis has launched in India and Latin America, will be assembled in Slovakia and launched in early 2024.
The e-C3 will have a range of up to 300 kilometers on batteries, which are likely to be manufactured in China, according to people familiar with the matter.
Since batteries account for a large portion of an electric car’s value, Stellantis hopes the car will still be eligible for subsidies from the French government.
However, the company declined to comment.
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