New Citroen e-C3 to lead the charge towards cheap EV ownership

• Launches in early 2024
• Costs less than £23,000
• Approximate 200-mile range

This is the new Citroen e-C3, an electric hatchback with chunky SUV-inspired looks and the first model to sport the French marque’s new branding – but that’s not the most interesting thing about it. You see, the upcoming Citroen e-C3 could be one of the most influential cars from the brand in quite some time, thanks to its astoundingly low starting price.

The Citroen e-C3 will start from just under £23,000, which will make it one of the cheapest EVs of its type when it goes on sale in early 2024, and could kickstart a wave of affordable EVs from rivals as a result. The e-C3 will also be joined by a lineup of petrol-powered C3 models a little later on, so there will be plenty of choice for customers after something even cheaper.

Unbelievably, even the electric e-C3 is set to get cheaper still, with a smaller-battery version arriving later down the line, expected to cost around £20,000. This model will be capable of up to 124 miles of range.

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The e-C3’s design is inspired by the Citroen Oli concept revealed last year, and features an upright, boxy look with the brand’s new logo harking back to the original used way back in 1919 over a century ago. The car is now larger than the previous C3, which Citroen says has allowed for improved visibility and a more comfortable, upright driving position.

We were given an exclusive early look at the new e-C3’s interior, and it’s been freshly redesigned compared to the outgoing C3. There’s some Citroen-esque quirkiness by way of a small head-up display that sits discreetly in a small hollow ahead of the driver. 

In the centre of the dash there’s a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and fans of physical controls will be glad to hear that Citroen has kept separate heating and ventilation knobs and switches underneath it. The soft Active Comfort seats should keep occupants sitting comfortably, but despite a generous amount of headroom thanks to its upright stance, the rear legroom appears a little cramped.

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Ride comfort is a factor the brand has long been known for, however, and Citroen has installed hydraulic bump-stops across the C3 and e-C3 range in the pursuit of a smooth, refined ride. 

Keeping the e-C3’s price down will be the use of less-advanced battery technology – the new e-C3 will use a 44kWh LFP (lithium ferro phosphate) battery pack which is a little less efficient in cold environments than other battery tech, and the e-C3 won’t be available with a heat pump to optimise the battery as many other EVs are, but the brand says most of its customers do less than 50 miles a day, and the e-C3 will be capable of up to 199 miles on a charge.

The e-C3 gets a front-mounted electric motor producing 112bhp, propelling it from 0-62mph in around 11 seconds, with a top speed of 84mph. 

Charging speeds will be pretty snappy, though, with the e-C3 getting up to 100kW DC fast-charging, meaning a charge from 20 to 80% takes around 26 minutes. Home wallbox AC charging speeds are 7.4kW as standard, but faster 11kW AC charging capability will also be an option.

Petrol-powered C3s will form part of the range, likely costing even less. They’re expected to use the same tried-and-tested 1.2-litre three-cylinder units from the outgoing C3, though details are yet to be confirmed. For context, this is tuned to produce either 82bhp or 108bhp in the current car, and comes with a manual or automatic gearbox.

The Citroen e-C3 will be available in three trim levels: You!, Plus, and Max. All models will get cruise control, air conditioning, rear parking sensors, LED headlights and emergency autonomous braking tech – not bad for a £23,000 EV. An Aircross SUV based on the e-C3 will also arrive later down the line.

Read what we thought of the outgoing petrol model with our in-depth review of the Citroen C3...