Citroen E-C3 van priced from under £20,000 as orders open
Citroen has opened order books for the commercial version of its compact E-C3.
The E-C3 van has gone on sale priced from under £20,000 once the Plug-in Van Grant (PiVG) has been applied, making it one of the cheapest electric vans on the market.
Aimed at those who don’t need a full-on van such as the Citroen E-Berlingo, the E-C3 “van” is a simple conversion of the regular Citroen E-C3 hatchback, which removes the rear seats and blacks out the back windows. A low-level solid bulkhead has been fitted behind the front two seats, with a full-height mesh bulkhead to protect occupants from loads in the back. There’s also a mid-level load cover.
Sitting above the Ami Cargo in Citroen’s commercial vehicle range, the E-C3 van is a rival to the Dacia Spring Cargo, which follows a similarly simple approach to conversions. The E-C3 Van’s maximum payload is 300kg – 70kg less than the Spring’s – but it has a maximum load volume of 1,220 litres – 135 litres more than the Dacia. The Citroen van can take loads up to 1.2 metres long and 1 metre wide.
The E-C3 Van uses the same powertrain as the regular E-C3 passenger car – a 111bhp front-mounted motor powered by a 44kWh battery. Citroen says that offers up to 200 miles of range – 60 miles more than the Dacia Spring Cargo. The E-C3 charges at 100kW, allowing a 20-80% charge in 26 minutes.
There is just one trim level of E-C3 van, based on the Plus specification and priced from £22,437 excluding VAT. With the £2,500 PiVG applied that brings the starting price down to £19,937. As standard, the van features Citroen’s Advanced Comfort seats and suspension, LED headlights and cruise control. It also gets wireless Apple and Android mirroring and rear parking sensors but loses the car’s diamond-cut alloy wheels in favour of cheap-to-maintain 17-inch steel models.
