Citroen C3 EV to be unveiled on September 29

Citroen is gearing up to unveil a new electric vehicle for the Indian market, and reports suggest that it could be the Citroen C3 EV. The automaker recently dropped a teaser video signalling the announcement of an all-electric offering on September 29. The caption of the teaser video reads ‘An electric car, that’s good. But for us, it’s far from being #enough. See you on September 29th.’

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Citroen C3 EV: What we know so far

While the teaser reveal may have come as a surprise for some, Citroen has been pretty open about its electric ambitions in India. Stellantis Group CEO, Carlos Tavares, had previously mentioned that a sub-4m EV was in the works for India. The EV, Tavares revealed, will be underpinned by C3’s platform and will go on sale by 2023. Being a part of the C3 programme, it is expected to be produced in India.

Secondary reports also suggest that the new Citroen C3 EV will be based on the same modular eCMP platform found on its ICE sibling. The C3 EV is also expected to come with multiple battery pack options. If rumours are anything to go by, it could get the 50W battery pack from the Peugeot e-208 which is also based on the eCMP platform. This battery pack provides a range of up to 350 km.

The electric motor powered by this battery can produce a maximum power of 135bhp and 260Nm peak torque. The Citroen C3 EV could also be made available in a smaller battery pack option that offers a range of 300 km.

The Citroen C3 EV has been spotted testing on Indian roads, with its charging socket heavily camouflaged. Cosmetically, the EV looks similar to its ICE counterpart, with only a few EV-exclusive design tweaks like a shut-off grille. Inside, the C3 EV will retain the design of its ICE sibling, although Citroen could update some features. 

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Conclusion

The Citroen C3 EV will be priced at an affordable rate, given how the bulk of manufacturing is taking place in India. The battery pack may be imported initially, but Citroen plans to maximise the localised manufacturing of the EV in later phases. The C3 EV is expected to launch in early 2023. Citroen also plans to launch the EV variants of its other offerings in India. Upon launch, the C3 EV will directly rival the Tata Tiago EV.