Raphael ThysCitroen E-C3 — Citroen
Citroën Just Embarrassed Tesla
The Citroën E-C3 is the Tesla Model 2 you’ve been waiting for.
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Published in
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5 min read
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Oct 26
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If you live in the US, you might not have heard of Citroën, let alone ever seen one. This wonderfully quirky French company has been at the forefront of the automotive world since its inception, thanks to its unique, unorthodox, and out-of-the-box mass-market designs like the brilliant 2CV. However, Citroën has been behind the curve and playing catch up for the past twenty years or so. But this will change next year when their revolutionary E-C3 comes to market. This EV can rapid charge in 32 minutes and has a range of 199 miles, yet it will cost nearly half that of a Tesla Model 3!
If you have been following Citroën for the past few years, this E-C3 isn’t a surprise. Not too long ago, Citroën released their Oli electric concept car. This car’s design language and ethos heavily influenced the new E-C3. It is built using revolutionary recycled materials, like polymerised cardboard, and is fully recyclable once scrapped. This means it uses 70% less material by weight and has a far more simple design than the Model 3. This lightweight design means it can get away with a far smaller battery, as the Oli squeezes 248 miles of range from its 40 kWh battery. This tiny battery also means it charges insanely quickly! 10% to 80% only takes 23 minutes. This means it goes nearly as far as a standard range Model 3, charges quicker, and yet, thanks to the material cost savings, could be produced for only $15,400! At least according to my estimates (read more here).
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Now, there is currently a massive hole in the EV market. There is no genuinely affordable and properly usable EV out there. The closest in Europe is the Peugeot e-208, which has similar specs to the Oli but costs the equivalent of $40,000! Needless to say, whoever can fill this space first will have a sales landslide on their hands and will not only open up the EV revolution to the average person but also potentially have sky-high profits.
With this in mind, it is no surprise that Tesla is trying to fill this hole with their upcoming “Model 2”. There have only been rumours for the past few years as to the price and specs of…