Citroen eC3 electric car revealed ahead of official launch: Gets bigger battery than Tata Tiago EV

Ahead of its launch, the new Citroen eC3 has made its public debut in India. Based on the already-available petrol-powered C3 hatchback, the new eC3 is the all-electric version of the former. The new Citroen eC3 will be manufactured here in India, with its production facility in Chennai also serving as the hub for its exports. Citroen will start accepting bookings for the eC3 from January 22nd, with the official launch of the electric hatchback slated in February 2023.

Compared to the petrol-powered version, the new Citroen eC3 gets a new charging port placed on the front fender. Apart from this, there are no visual differences between the two, unlike its direct rival Tata Tiago EV, which is well-differentiated from its ICE version with contrasting blue highlights. However, the interior of the Citroen eC3 has been tweaked, which gets a new drive controller in place of the conventional transmission lever.

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Powering the new Citroen eC3 is a front-mounted electric motor, which channels 57 hp of power and 143 Nm of torque to the front wheels. The power output of the eC3 is lower than the 73.75 hp of the Tiago EV, though its torque output is higher than the claimed 114 Nm of the Tiago EV. A 29.2kWh lithium-ion battery pack – larger than the 24kWh battery pack of Tiago EV – is offered as standard in the eC3, which claims an ARAI-certified range of 320 km. With two drive modes – Eco and Standard and regenerative braking offered as standard, the Citroen eC3 also comes with a 3.3kW onboard AC charger. The battery is also capable of supporting CCS2 fast charging method.

Citroen eC3 is quick

For the eC3, Citroen is claiming a 0-60 km/h acceleration time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 107 km/h. According to Citroen, the new eC3’s battery can be charged from 10-80 per cent in 57 minutes using DC fast charging. However, with the standard AC charger provided, the eC3’s battery can be charged from 10-100 per cent in 10.5 hours.

In terms of features, the new Citroen eC3 retains all the comfort, convenience and safety features of its petrol-powered counterpart. The all-electric hatchback from Citroen gets a 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a four-speaker audio system, height-adjustable driver’s seat and steering-mounted audio and Bluetooth controls.

It also gets connected car tech with 35 features, dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and reverse parking sensors. For the eC3, Citroen will be offering a standard warranty of 7 years/1,40,000 km on the battery pack, 5 years/1,00,000 km on the electric motor and 3 years/1,25,000 km on the car.

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