Photo: Citroen
Citroën decided it would also sell an affordable electric vehicle in India, and it is not the Ami. The company is now talking about the eC3 on its official Indian website, and the teaser may confirm the rumors that it will be presented in March. More than a local vehicle, the eC3 is Stellantis’ response to the Renault City K-ZE.
These two cars have more than enough similarities. Both are electric versions of vehicles that were designed in India and are also sold in Brazil. In Renault’s case, we’re talking about the Kwid. It became the City K-ZE because it is made in China. This is probably the most crucial difference between these projects: Stellantis prefers Narendra Modi to Xi Jinping.
What Stellantis did not manage to dodge was a Chinese supplier. Rumor has it that SVolt will be in charge of manufacturing the battery pack for the eC3. While some Indian websites are cautious and mention that the component will have a capacity between 20 kWh and 30 kWh, some others state it will be a 30.2 kWh unit.
There is no official word so far about powerful the front motor (the only one in this budget EV) will be. However, the same websites that are so sure about the battery pack capacity also said the motor would offer 86 bhp and 143 Nm (105.5 pound-feet). That makes the eC3 a stronger option to the City K-ZE, which has a 44 hp (33 kW) motor and a 26.8-kWh air-cooled battery pack.
We’re curious to see what Stellantis decided to use to cool down and heat up the eC3 battery pack. Cost concerns would make air take care of that task, but reliability requirements suggest a liquid-cooling system would be the ideal choice.
India recently became the third-largest car market in the world, losing only to China and the U.S. After it lost Ford, India probably realized that it needs to be competitive in manufacturing electric cars as well to keep the momentum going. After all, just having the world’s second-largest population may turn the country into a promising market for imported vehicles if India does not produce what many see as the only alternative to combustion engines. Tata did its homework by creating the Tiago EV, a car that the Citroën eC3 wants to beat.
If the eC3 goes well in India, it may also reach Brazil. We’d expect it to also arrive in Europe at some point. After all, the Renault City K-ZE is sold there as the Dacia Spring. If Renault managed to have seven different cars based on the same project, Stellantis could do much more with its 14 brands. The eC3 would never reach European customers as a C3, but the French brand may give it another name. Fiat, Opel, Peugeot, and Vauxhall are strong candidates to have their own versions of this affordable EV. In India, it is expected to cost Rs1 million, or the equivalent of $12,302, at the current exchange rate.
What Stellantis did not manage to dodge was a Chinese supplier. Rumor has it that SVolt will be in charge of manufacturing the battery pack for the eC3. While some Indian websites are cautious and mention that the component will have a capacity between 20 kWh and 30 kWh, some others state it will be a 30.2 kWh unit.
There is no official word so far about powerful the front motor (the only one in this budget EV) will be. However, the same websites that are so sure about the battery pack capacity also said the motor would offer 86 bhp and 143 Nm (105.5 pound-feet). That makes the eC3 a stronger option to the City K-ZE, which has a 44 hp (33 kW) motor and a 26.8-kWh air-cooled battery pack.
We’re curious to see what Stellantis decided to use to cool down and heat up the eC3 battery pack. Cost concerns would make air take care of that task, but reliability requirements suggest a liquid-cooling system would be the ideal choice.
India recently became the third-largest car market in the world, losing only to China and the U.S. After it lost Ford, India probably realized that it needs to be competitive in manufacturing electric cars as well to keep the momentum going. After all, just having the world’s second-largest population may turn the country into a promising market for imported vehicles if India does not produce what many see as the only alternative to combustion engines. Tata did its homework by creating the Tiago EV, a car that the Citroën eC3 wants to beat.
If the eC3 goes well in India, it may also reach Brazil. We’d expect it to also arrive in Europe at some point. After all, the Renault City K-ZE is sold there as the Dacia Spring. If Renault managed to have seven different cars based on the same project, Stellantis could do much more with its 14 brands. The eC3 would never reach European customers as a C3, but the French brand may give it another name. Fiat, Opel, Peugeot, and Vauxhall are strong candidates to have their own versions of this affordable EV. In India, it is expected to cost Rs1 million, or the equivalent of $12,302, at the current exchange rate.
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