Citroën hopes to spark a revival of the small car-based van segment by launching a £15,000 ë-C3 electric van.
The commercial variant of its new entry-level electric car is due in April, with a likely starting price of £15,035 excluding VAT but inclusive of the UK’s Plug-in Van Grant. It will be built to N1 classification.
Only the Dacia Spring Cargo will be cheaper, at £14,995 excluding VAT, yet the ë-C3 van will have a longer range.
It will be based on the larger-battery (44kWh) version of the ë-C3 with 200-miles of range (one mile more than the car, due to a marginally lower weight) and charging speeds of up to 100kW. Power comes from a 111bhp electric motor.
Citroën UK boss Greg Taylor told Autocar that the brand “can see a niche” for the appeal of such a model. “Ford used to sell thousands of Fiesta vans,” he said. “Part of our goal is to reinvigorate that segment, and we’re excited to start with this.”
The ë-C3 van is designed to appeal for last-mile deliveries and short-distance journeys and for businesses that don’t need a larger van.
“It’s gone to tenders and there are use cases," said Taylor. "There are people who don’t need a Berlingo and it can give something that the market can’t offer at the moment.”
The new van will have the rear seats and seatbelt points removed and have a mesh bulkhead installed. It will have 1.3 square metres of load space. Otherwise, it will come with all of the features of the car on which it is based, including the Advanced Comfort front seats and suspension.
It's part of a wider push from Citroën to launch a range of affordable EVs. The firm already has five EVs available for less than £30,000, including the ë-C4 and ë-C4 X, which have had their prices cut to coincide with their facelifts to start from £26,295 and £27,360 respectively. The Ami, ë-C3 and upcoming ë-C3 Aircross complete the five.
Citroën is also in the process of developing an eight-year warranty to roll out across its entire model range. Taylor said the finer details and launch date were still being worked on but the brand sees it as a way of retaining aftersales and servicing within its network; and keeping in touch with buyers of new vehicles for longer and with people buying its cars used.
Taylor said it isn't a reactionary move but rather one to allow Citroën to maintain its “upward trajectory”, particularly at the moment, when it's in the process of refreshing its entire model range.
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