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
| Range | Battery size | Wallbox charge time | Rapid charge time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 219-260 miles (est) | 50-54kWh | 7hrs 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.
