New Citroen e-C3 EV Unveiling Date

author: FutureCar Staff    

Citroen is set to introduce the new e-C3, which will be one of the UK's most affordable electric cars. The CEO, Thierry Koskas, stated that the e-C3 will offer three main attributes: being made in Europe, having all the features that buyers expect from a proper car, and being priced under 25,000 euros. According to Koskas, this makes the e-C3 unique in the market at its launch.

The e-C3 is scheduled to be released at the beginning of 2024. It will utilize a cost-focused platform and a 'fair deal' pricing structure to reduce haggling. Koskas mentioned 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 electric supermini, urging people to "forget everything you know about electric cars." The video provided a glimpse of the e-C3's bold head- and tail-light design, which resembles the Citroen Oli concept.

The e-C3 will have a range of over 300km (186 miles) and measure around 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. Koskas emphasized that this platform's optimization and competitiveness contribute to the e-C3's affordable price.

The battery capacity and performance details have not been disclosed yet. However, Koskas confirmed that the e-C3 will be manufactured at Stellantis's factory in Trnava, Slovakia, alongside Peugeot's 208. While he did not mention a combustion-engined version, it is likely considering other Smart Platform models are available with petrol power.

Stellantis is positioning Citroen as a key player in countering the growing presence of Chinese manufacturers introducing cheaper EVs in Europe. Koskas acknowledged the challenge and emphasized the need to respond. He highlighted Citroen's advantages, such as a large sales network and a rich history of over 100 years. The brand aims to increase its share of the European market to five percent and have 30 percent of its global sales outside of Europe.

Koskas clarified that Citroen's sales approach will not adopt a fixed-price offering like Dacia. While there will still be room for some incentives, the goal is to provide transparent and fair pricing, ensuring that the listed price aligns closely with the actual price paid by customers.

The e-C3 will be unveiled on October 17th, and sales are expected to start in the first quarter of 2024. Additionally, a larger follow-up to the existing C3 Aircross baby SUV is planned for release next year to address the demand for a bigger car in the B-segment SUV category.

For those interested in superminis, check out our list of the best options currently available in the UK.

FutureCar Staff