The EV segment is growing rapidly in India. Every car manufacturing company is bringing new EVs to compete in the Indian EV market. The EV segment is still new in India and doesn’t have many options yet, seeing this as an opportunity the France automobile company Citroen is preparing to launch an electric version of the C3 hatchback in India. Currently, Tata Motors rules the Indian EV market and Nexon EV is the highest-selling EV in the country with more than 60% market share.
Citroen will enter the entry-level EV segment with C3 electric and it will be a part of the company’s C-cubed smart car program. Under this program, Citroen will launch multiple budget-friendly compact cars in the near future and they all will be based on Citroen’s CMP platform. The Citroen company is localizing itself in India, and doing this will help lower the prices of the cars. Citroen also mentioned that their Made in India cars will also target the export markets.
The electric version of Citroen C3 will be called e-C3 as teased in the recently uploaded official video teaser. The e-C3 could be launched at a price range of between Rs. 10 – 12 lakhs. (Ex-showroom). At this price point, it will rival the popular Tata Tiago EV. Citroen e-C3 will carry similar features to its petrol variant. Some main features that the petrol C3 has are – a 26cm touchscreen infotainment system that supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with Siri and Google Assistant voice commands and C-Buddy connectivity tech. Safety-wise it has – dual-airbags, ABS with EBD, reverse parking sensors, an engine immobilizer, a high-speed alert, system, and a speed-sensitive auto door lock.
Citroen has partnered with JIO-BP for the charging network. As a result, DC fast chargers will be put in by Jio-BP across the nation’s major Citroen dealership network and workshops. To increase consumer acceptance of EVs, these chargers will be open to all EV car owners. The company will also create a My Citron Connect app which will provide access to the network of charging infrastructure.
Citroen is planning to localize its EV manufacturing in India, this will reduce the ex-showroom price of their EVs. The only part that will be imported by the company is the battery pack because currently, it is not possible for the Citroen company to source batteries locally. In the future, when the battery market grows in India, Citroen will consider shifting to locally manufactured battery packs. Citroen automobiles are now being produced in their plant in Thiruvallur, which is close to Chennai in Tamil Nadu. Citroen may consider investing in capacity expansion or even starting up new manufacturing facilities depending on demand.
After the launch of e-C3, Citroen will start preparing for the launches of multiple new products in India. This includes big vehicles like MPVs and CUVs, and it also includes new EVs. Citroen is positive about the Indian EV industry and projects that by 2025, EVs would account for between 5 and 10% of total new car sales. According to the company’s projections, the EV segment might reach 25% by 2030.
