Citroën ë-C3 and Far a Day: the winning duo to reconcile low price and long range

The automotive industry is experiencing an unprecedented shift, yet the transition to electric power still faces a major psychological and practical barrier: range. For the vast majority of users, a moderate battery capacity is more than enough for daily commutes. However, the prospect of holiday trips and long-distance travel remains a source of concern. These occasional journeys currently require either the purchase of heavy, expensive vehicles with massive batteries or the acceptance of long charging times on highways. Between the desire to offer affordable prices and the need for real-world efficiency, a young French company might have found the perfect solution. By offering a radically different approach to energy storage, this innovation promises to reconcile urban use with long-distance travel.

The range paradox and the arrival of the universal external battery

The current electric car market is marked by a difficult-to-resolve paradox. The more range desired, the larger the battery must be. However, a massive battery significantly adds weight to the vehicle, increases its carbon footprint during manufacturing, and, most importantly, drives up the retail price, making it less accessible to the general public. Yet, for daily driving, the vast majority of motorists have no need to carry hundreds of kilograms of lithium. This paradox, which slows the democratization of clean mobility, could be coming to an end thanks to Far a day. This French company is developing a revolutionary external battery project designed to adapt to the entire electric vehicle fleet.

Unlike proprietary solutions, the Far a day system is a universal answer. It is not a structural modification of the car but a temporary energy supplement service. The project has already been tested over 200,000 kilometers in collaboration with major industry players such as Renault and Stellantis. The principle is simple: provide an additional energy reserve only when needed. By freeing the car from the obligation of carrying an oversized battery at all times, Far a day allows manufacturers to focus on lighter, more aerodynamic, and, above all, much more affordable vehicles.

Total flexibility to adapt to real consumer needs

The relevance of this system lies in its ability to vary the vehicle's range based on its immediate use. On a daily basis, the user enjoys an optimized car equipped with a reasonably sized battery offering between 300 and 400 km of range. This configuration is ideal for the week, whether for work or local leisure activities. But during holiday departures, this ingenious system permanently solves the range problem thanks to an external battery that powers the car while driving. This device transforms any modest electric vehicle into a true long-distance cruiser capable of crossing the country without the usual charging constraints.

The operation of Far a day is intended to be as intuitive as it is practical. The process takes place in a few simple steps, often faster than a traditional fuel fill-up. Motorists begin by reserving their battery via a dedicated app. Upon arriving at the Far a day station, strategically located on their route, they head to an automated connection point. Without the driver needing to leave the vehicle, the system connects the external battery in just two minutes. This unit immediately provides 60 kWh of energy, or about 300 km of additional range. Once this reserve is used, a simple two-minute swap at a subsequent station allows for another 300 km. At the end of the highway journey, the user simply returns the device and continues their trip using the internal battery.

A vital paradigm shift for models like the Citroën ë-C3

The transition to electric power requires a total paradigm shift. Attempting to combine an affordable price, a range of over 600 km, and ultra-fast charging in a single vehicle is currently technically and economically impossible. Far a day has perfectly understood this limitation by focusing on modularity. While this system is universal and aimed at all electric cars, it makes perfect sense for models like the new Citroën ë-C3. With its 320 km range, the small Citroën perfectly meets the needs of 90% of the year. Thanks to the Far a day external battery, ë-C3 owners could plan trips of 900 or 1,200 km without any apprehension regarding charging or time lost at stations.

This technology, with a commercial launch planned in France for 2026, could be the missing link to convince the last remaining skeptics. By eliminating wait times at charging stations and guaranteeing a fixed, transparent cost, Far a day restores the freedom of movement characteristic of internal combustion vehicles to the electric car, without the environmental drawbacks. The first stations will open soon, and future users can already vote to choose priority routes, such as the A6 toward Lyon or the highways toward Bordeaux. With such a solution, the Citroën ë-C3 and its peers are no longer just electric city cars but total mobility solutions. Is this the ultimate solution to finally generalize electric adoption? Time will tell, but the date is set for 2026.