In-depth reviews

Citroen e-C4 review: Range, battery & charging

The e-C4’s is now optionally available with a bigger 54kWh battery – only adding to the crossover's appeal

Overall rating

3.5 out of 5

Range, battery & charging rating

3.5 out of 5

Price
£31,995 - £35,495
Fuel Type:
Electric
RangeBattery sizeWallbox charge timeRapid charge time
219-260 miles (est)50-54kWh7hrs 30mins (0-100%, 7.4kW)30mins (10-80%, 100kW)

It's not the longest-range electric family car on sale, but updates to the e-C4’s software systems (plus a bigger battery from mid-2023) should mean new models can go further on a charge than before. Now offered with a choice of 50kWh or 54kWh batteries – the latter fitted to the updated DS 3 E-Tense – even the cheapest versions are capable of 200 miles or more.

Citroen e-C4 range

Within the Stellantis group (Citroen, Peugeot, Vauxhall, DS, etc), the e-C4 is arguably pitched as the value proposition. Even the basic one still costs more than £30,000 – this is not a cheap car – but an equivalent DS is roughly 20% more again, so it’s all relative.

As such, basic Citroen e-C4s use slightly older technology, sticking with the smaller 50kWh battery used since launch in 2020. If you're willing to pay the extra (prices are still TBC) however, Citroen does now offer the larger 54kWh battery found in the Vauxhall and DS – offering a potential range of more than 250 miles (again, currently TBC).

Yet even the cheapest e-C4 still returns a claimed 219 miles per charge (218 miles for the higher-spec C-Series Edition and Shine Plus versions) or roughly 180-200 miles in normal driving. Rivals like the Volkswagen ID.3 (58kWh) and Kia Niro EV top out at 260 miles and 285 miles respectively.

The saloon-bodied Citroen e-C4 X now also gets both battery options. Its sleeker, slipperier shape means its marginally more efficient, but truthfully there's very little in it.

Charge time

The majority of electric-car owners are likely to have an accompanying home wallbox installed, and so can enjoy a seven-and-a-half hour charge time from their e-C4 – perfect for an overnight top-up. If you have a three-phase electricity supply at home, an on-board 11kW charger can be optioned for £300 to take advantage of a quicker home wallbox. Few households have this capability, though, so check before you shell out.

The Citroen’s rapid charge times are competitive, too. Plug in to a fast enough CCS rapid charger and the e-C4 will max out at 100kW, which is good enough for a 10-80% refill in around 30 minutes – enabling occasional long-distance drives without too much trouble. Better charging efficiency means near-identical numbers for the bigger battery car, too.

Most Popular

Tesla Model 3 facelift will be a double-edged sword
Tesla badge
News

Tesla Model 3 facelift will be a double-edged sword

Tesla’s updated EV will have an improved interior, greater range and a more affordable price – as well as one unfortunate drawback
1 Jun 2023
Vauxhall Astra Electric: price, range and video
Vauxhall Astra Electric
News

Vauxhall Astra Electric: price, range and video

The new Astra Electric shares its parts with the Peugeot e-308, with first deliveries due soon
31 May 2023
Volkswagen ID.3 review
Volkswagen ID.3 facelift - front 1
In-depth reviews

Volkswagen ID.3 review

The recently updated Volkswagen ID.3 hatchback is vastly improved inside, but the fiddly infotainment system remains
2 Jun 2023