New Citroen e-C3 EV Unveiling Date

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【Summary】Citroen will unveil its new e-C3 electric car on October 17th. The electric supermini is expected to offer features that buyers expect, be made in Europe, and have a starting price under €25,000. It will have a range of over 300km and be built on Stellantis's cost-focused Smart Platform. The e-C3 is seen as Citroen's response to the growing competition from Chinese manufacturers in the European EV market. Sales are expected to begin in early 2024.

FutureCar Staff Oct 13, 2023 4:17 PM PT

Citroen is set to launch the new e-C3, positioning it as one of the UK's most affordable electric cars. The CEO, Thierry Koskas, believes that the e-C3 offers a breakthrough in the market, with its three main attributes: being made in Europe, having all the expected features of a proper car, and being priced under 25,000 euros.

The e-C3 is expected to hit the market in early 2024 and will feature a cost-focused platform, along with a fair deal pricing structure to reduce haggling. Koskas stated that the starting price should be under 25,000 euros, making it potentially more than £10,000 cheaper than Vauxhall's Corsa Electric and even undercutting some of the petrol-powered Corsa range.

Citroen recently shared a teaser video of the e-C3, instructing viewers to forget everything they know about electric cars. The video provided a glimpse of the electric supermini, showcasing a bold head- and tail-light design reminiscent of the Citroen Oli concept.

The e-C3 will have a range of over 300km (186 miles) and will be approximately four meters in length, similar to the existing C3. It will be based on Stellantis's Smart Platform, which is a cost-focused evolution of the existing CMP and e-CMP architectures. This platform has been used in India and South America and is a key factor in achieving the competitive pricing.

The battery capacity and performance details have not been disclosed yet. However, it has been confirmed that the e-C3 will be manufactured at Stellantis's factory in Trnava, Slovakia, alongside Peugeot's 208. It is unclear if a combustion-engined version will be offered alongside the electric variant.

Citroen is positioning itself as a defense against the growing number of Chinese manufacturers entering the European EV market. The brand aims to compete with them on production costs and showcase its long history and extensive sales network. Citroen has set ambitious targets for its sales, aiming for a five percent market share in Europe and 30 percent of global sales outside of Europe.

The sales approach for the e-C3 will include fair pricing, with some room for negotiation and incentives. The goal is to provide transparency and ensure that the listed price is close to the actual price paid by customers. Sales of the e-C3 are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2024, followed by a larger SUV model to address the demand for a bigger car.

Overall, the e-C3 aims to offer an affordable and feature-rich electric car option, positioning Citroen as a strong competitor in the EV market.