Ë-C3 Electric – a comfortable city car

With an inner-city range of up to 322 km, comfort and space, the Citroën ë-C3 is above all one thing: practical.

This article is part of the special topic " Electromobility for Trades & SMEs".

Anyone looking into electric cars for the first time will quickly realize: they're large and expensive. Consequently, finding small, practical models ideal for urban driving can be quite a challenge. This is especially true for vehicles below the magic €20.000 mark. The Citroën ë-C3 , with its 113 Urban Range, just barely clears this hurdle: its list price is €20.140 , ​​or €16.924,37 net, which is certainly within a financially attractive range.

Attractive design

The Tonic special edition of the ë-C3 in side view. Photo: © Citroën

In return, you get a small, compact vehicle measuring 4,015 meters long, 1,813 meters wide (including mirrors) , and 1,58 meters high (including roof rails), with a wheelbase of 2,54 meters. All of this is packaged in an attractive design that, despite its dimensions, conveys a certain sense of spaciousness. Indeed, even taller passengers will find plenty of room in the front, while the rear – unsurprisingly – is a bit tighter, but perfectly tolerable. The trunk holds 310 liters , and folding down the rear seats increases the cargo volume to up to 1.200 liters.

At this price, the interior of the base version is rather basic, but it can be significantly improved via the options list . The technical specifications are also quite basic. "Urban Range" means a small battery with a gross capacity of 30,3 kWh. This is sufficient for a typical range of 205 to 215 kilometers , so you should plan for considerable charging time on longer journeys. However, the range increases to up to 304 kilometers in urban areas thanks to regenerative braking, provided you drive sparingly with the accelerator. Charging with an 11 kW three-phase charger takes just under two hours to fully charge the battery from 20 percent to 80 percent, while a 30 kW DC fast charger takes approximately 36 minutes.

Not a sprint star

A look inside the Tonic special edition. Photo: © Citroën

The car is powered by a 53 kW/72 hp motor that delivers 125 Nm of torque. This allows it to reach a top speed of 125 km/h , which is electronically limited to save energy. Those wanting more power will need to opt for the Turbo 100, which offers 74 kW/101 hp and 205 Nm of torque.

The fact that the Urban Range isn't exactly a sprinter is also evident in its 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 12 seconds. But who needs that in city traffic, where things tend to move at a leisurely pace or are often congested, especially in large cities like Cologne? Numerous construction sites create plenty of stop-and-go traffic, so a 300 km range in the city center isn't unrealistic at all.

Practical and inexpensive

With its key specifications, the ë-C3 Electric perfectly fulfills the criteria for a classic city car . It's comfortable, it's agile, and it even offers enough space for weekend shopping. Above all, thanks to its electric drive, the Citroën is emission-free and ready for the future . DHB is now also available digitally! Simply click here and register for the digital German Crafts Journal (DHB)!