Citroën ë-C3
Max electric FWD automatic
Sustainability Rating: 5 stars
Our verdict:
Although the Citroën ë-C3 is a compact electric European vehicle with low mass and small battery, its sustainability performance is just sufficient for a 5-star rating. The scoring is lower compared to that of other similar vehicles and can be largely attributed to a limited powertrain efficiency and relatively high electricity consumption values.
- The ë-C3 has no exhaust emissions, it scores well for brake abrasion, and adequately for tyre abrasion
- It performs modestly in energy efficiency, especially in cold and highway conditions, likely due to an inefficient powertrain and heating system and higher aerodynamic drag
- Despite the relatively high energy use, the car scores top marks in greenhouse gas emissions thanks to its lightweight design, small battery, and low-emission European electricity supply.
The ë-C3 surprised in a rather negative way. It demonstrates that not every small electric vehicle scores equally in terms of sustainability and that powertrain design, strategy and selection of components are essential in the efforts for minimising environmental impact.
Driving Experience
Our comments:
The ë-C3 failed to impress in the Driving Experience assessment.
- The estimated real-world consumption figures are adequate in warm weather conditions and mostly poor in cold winter usage. The resulting driving ranges are low and lead to another poor note.
- In cold winter driving conditions, drivers can increase the driving range if the vehicle can be preheated while it is plugged and before the trip starts. Yet, due to the small battery, the driving range gain evaluation remains 'adequate'. The ë-C3 manages to heat up the front part of its cabin quickly, but the temperatures in the rear footwell did not reach 16°C during the test. The heating concept relies on a PTC heater only, which is most likely the reason for the high electricity demand for heating.
- The standard home AC charging performance is adequate with a 87.2% grid-to-battery efficiency, but the DC fast charging performance is limited and leads to a poor score. The car does not offer any bi-directional charging functions.
See datasheet for more details.