Citroen Berlingo Electric (2013-2019) range, battery & charging

The Citroen Berlingo Electric's running gear is rather dated. It features a pair of battery packs mounted in a subframe either side of the rear axle, with a combined capacity of 22.5kWh. These supply a 66bhp electric motor developed by French firm Venturi (which competes in the Formula E electric racing series) and gives the Berlingo Electric a claimed range of 106 miles.

Unfortunately, that’s behind its main rival, the Renault Kangoo Z.E., which can travel up to 70 miles further before needing to be recharged. It was also calculated on the now-discontinued NEDC testing cycle, which means in the real world you're unlikely to better 60 miles or so.

Citroen Berlingo Electric range

Citroen quotes a range of 106 miles for the Berlingo Electric. This figure was achieved under a now-discontinued testing procedure, and means that you’re more likely to manage around 60 to 70 miles in real-world driving.

This was demonstrated by it sister van, the Peugeot Partner, which achieved 65 miles in the newer and more real-world-relevant WLTP test. It’s worth noting that the far larger Renault Master Z.E. can easily achieve 70 miles on a single charge while carrying twice as much cargo and almost double the payload.

Charge time

There are two charging options available for the Berlingo Electric. First is a standard mains charger; using this method delivers a home-charging time from flat of 12 hours from a three-pin plug, or eight hours from a wallbox charging point. That means plugging in overnight should see you with a full charge in the morning.

The second option is a CHAdeMO socket, as also seen on the Nissan e-NV200 van and Nissan Leaf hatchback. This is located on the nearside rear bodywork and allows high-voltage charging from a 50kW source. It can recharge the flat battery to 80% capacity in around 30 minutes.

Battery warranty

As well as the standard three-year Citroen van warranty, the Berlingo Electric’s battery is covered for eight years/60,000 miles. That’s in line with rivals that also offer eight years of cover for their batteries.