Mark S drives a Citroën E-C4 50kWh 2021.
This is Mark’s first electric car, he’s owned the E-C4 from new and drives 5,000-10,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 10,000-20,000 miles and he achieves 180 miles from a full charge.
Why did you choose the Citroën E-C4?
I chose this car because it was a great deal and after test driving it I like the comfort aspect of it. It is a really refined comfortable drive. I knew the range was trail blazing, the 100kW charging wasn’t a deal breaker as it can still charge quickly: 20-80% in about 25 mins.
Positives – List 3 or more reasons why you love this electric car
- How it looks
- how comfortable it is
- the fact I can run it really reasonably!
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Negatives – List 3 or more things that you really don’t like about this electric car
- The app is shocking
- the lane keep assist is a bit passive aggressive
- the auto main beam headlight function doesn’t react quickly enough.
Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?
I had a problem which does seem to be a bit of an issue on the E-C4 and not exclusively the electric version where an ABS sensor cable perishes meaning there are many errors and functions that fail. The car was recovered and taken to a dealership the week before Christmas and thankfully it was resolved quite quickly!
What are the standout technological features of the car?
I like the TomTom sat nav system, it’s really good with live updates and the adaptive cruise control too. It seems really intuitive and manages the energy usage.
Surprise us! Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about this electric car
I wasn’t expecting it but the car (Shine Plus model) came with the upgraded audio system which has a subwoofer under the boot floor which really makes the sound system so good!
What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?
I would be looking at the Renault Megane E-Tech or the new Renault 5. I think Renault have learnt a lot from the Zoe and have some great electric tech development.
Home charging unit – outline both positive & negative elements
We have the Easee One charger, it is super easy to use the app. We have a ‘time of use’ tariff and the timer is easy to use too. We have also set up RFID tags so when the hubby’s plug-in hybrid comes, we can work out who has used what energy. This is really easy to view. You can set up the rate you pay for energy and it shows you the cost. It also looks really smart, it’s small and designed in Norway so it can cope with some rough conditions.
Electricity supplier & tariff – outline both positive & negative elements
We are with Bulb on their EV tariff and waiting for Octopus to complete their takeover. At the moment there are no positives or negatives. Every company seems to be pretty similar in terms of their costs.
What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?
I like IONITY, always found them easy to use with the Bonnet app. Connected Kerb too if I’m popping out for a run to the Kent coast as they are reasonable to use on the same app and pretty much always available. I have had no issues with Pod Point chargers either. I’ve had to wait at Cobham services using IONITY twice on a long run. Thankfully, everybody seemed to be working out where they were in the queue. If Shell want to go into the EV charging game, they need more chargers at their petrol stations, one isn’t going to be enough, again I had a long wait at one when I needed to charge.
Insurer – outline both positive & negative elements
I insure with esure – no issues, came out the best price on renewal too.
Please itemise where you’re saving money (or not) owning & running a Citroën E-C4
The main saving is the fuel cost. I have done 12,000 miles at a cost of circa £350. Estimating 3p per mile for the Citroën, the MINI I had before would now be around 17p per mile based on the cost of diesel. I would say I have saved £1,320. It works out that I’m saving £110 a month. With the extra I am paying for the Citroën E-C4 I am still about £50 a month better off!
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