Recently, it became clear that the Chinese, state-owned, car brand Dongfeng is coming with what will be Norway’s cheapest electric car, the Box small car. It will have a starting price of NOK 189,000 when it arrives here in September.
Around the same time, Citroën rolls onto Norwegian soil with an almost as cheap electric car. ë-C3 starts at NOK 208,900 and should have a range of 324 kilometers.
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In other words, 20,000 more than the Chinese, but the cheapest version of the Box only has a range of 240 kilometres.
The variant with a similar range to the ë-C3 has not yet been priced, but it is expected that it will end up around NOK 240,000 to 250,000.
Animal time
The ë-C3 is built on Stellanti’s “Smart Car Platform” and is equipped with a 44 kWt LFP (Lithium Ferro Phosphate) battery pack. The engine produces 113 horsepower and the car has a charging speed of 100 kilowatts. According to Citroën, it should take 26 minutes to charge from 20 to 80 percent.
– Together with the upcoming ë-C3 Aircross, it will fit perfectly into an expensive era where the concept of “a lot of car for the money” is increasingly important to many, says product manager for Citroën at Bertel O. Steen, Joachim Valstad, in a press release.
Of the practical elements, they point out that the car has a trailer hitch, which can tow up to 550 kilograms, and that it can withstand a roof load of 80 kilograms.
Inside, the ë-C3 is distinguished by an absence of a traditional instrument panel. Instead, the car has a new head-up display that shows vehicle information on a glossy black section between the top of the dashboard and the bottom of the windshield.
Not dashboard
Citroën calls it “a kind of hybrid between a head-up display and an instrument panel.” This should ensure that the driver has access to all important information without taking his eyes off the road.
ë-C3 will be available with two equipment levels, with the most expensive costing NOK 238,900, but the importer says the cheapest should also offer good comfort, in addition to driver support systems such as lane keeping assistant, emergency brake and rear parking sensors.
With the highest level of equipment, comfort seats, split rear seat back, heated leather steering wheel, reversing camera, 3D navigation, wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay and heated windscreen are also added.
The ë-C3 is just over four meters long and has a luggage compartment of 310 litres.
The car will be in stores in the autumn.
PS: The Nissan Leaf has the lowest fixed price in Norway right now, with NOK 234,000. In addition, there are a number of campaigns, where the Mazda MX-30 excels at 219,900, against a guide price of NOK 289,550.
