What this means for India’s electric vehicle passengers & buyers

The Citroen e-C3 electric vehicle failed the Global New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) crash test in an assessment among a series of final tests in the ‘Safer Cars For India’ campaign as part of Bharat NCAP.

In the test result, Stellantis-owned and India-manufactured Citroen e-C3 scored a zero star in adult occupant safety rating and only one star in child occupant safety.

Bharat NCAP, India’s new car safety assessment programme, is a mechanism of awarding ‘star ratings’ to automobiles based on their performance in crash tests. It is India’s independent voice on vehicle safety. 

Citreon e-C3 received zero stars for adult occupant safety because it showed poor protection to the passenger’s chest and weak protection to the driver’s chest. It faltered on child occupant protection because the model does not offer three-point belts in all positions and does not offer a passenger airbag disconnection switch.

Global NCAP Secretary General Alejandro Furas reportedly condemned Stellantis’ safety standards, describing the e-C3’s results as “appalling”. Furas lamented the apparent regression in safety standards, particularly considering Peugeot SA, which merged with Fiat to form Stellantis in 2021, was once lauded for its safety ratings.

Stellantis, the parent company of Citroen, reacted to criticism by acknowledging the need for enhanced safety measures. 

The India-manufactured Citroen e-C3 is being prepared for global markets and is being publicised as an affordable electric car. It was released in Europe in 2023 as the first European affordable electric car. India is not far behind.

BluSmart, the Indian e-cab hailing service, plans to integrate 4,000 Citroen e-C3 electric vehicles into its fleet. The all-electric cab service signed an MoU with Citroen on March 18 this year while flagging off 125 Citroen e-C3 cars from BluSmart’s EV charging superhub.

While it remains to be seen what the fate of BluSmart’s deal with the French automaker will be after Citroen’s failure in the crash test, it is important to realise the ‘Pareto optimum’ in acquisitions. Pareto efficiency talks about expanding the entirety of resources. It encourages its practitioners to aim for an optimum where resources are most efficiently utilised, but to do this not by only dividing the existing pie but by expanding it. 

This theory has a lesson for procurement by Indian companies and other agencies. To cut costs, it is not necessary to compromise on essential safety features. A good deal can always be made such that it creates a win-win situation for all parties involved. BluSmart may have to expand its budget to procure safer vehicles now, but it would certainly enhance its brand equity and accountability in the future if the vehicle serves its passengers well.