Citroen C3 E- 83KW 44KWH Van Plus Auto

Ten Second Review

Citroen brings us a practical van version of its e-C3 electric supermini, returning almost properly to the city van segment it used to dominate with its little Nemo LCV. If you've not much to deliver and you're purely urban-based, it's worth a look.

Background

Citroen has quite a history in really small LCV's. The 2CV van was the last century's most definitive one. But the brand hasn't sold such a thing in recent years; well, not less you count the My Ami Cargo electric quadricycle, which most people don't. The last proper city-sized Citroen van was the Nemo, sold between 2007 and 2017, but that wasn't really a proper Citroen, instead a design shared with Peugeot and Fiat. Now though, we have a contender from this brand that is both a proper city van and a proper Citroen; the e-C3 Van. That's quite a build up for what is effectively merely an e-C3 supermini with the rear seat removed. But simple solutions can sometimes be the best ones. Dacia has done the same thing by launching a Cargo version of its Spring supermini EV and it's that model that will represent this e-C3 Van's closest competition.

Driving Experience

Citroen quotes a 200 mile range for this e-C3 Van, which is considerable improvement over the 140 mile range figure quoted for Dacia's rival Spring Cargo van. That's because this Citroen's 44kWh battery is much bigger than the 26.8kWh pack in that Dacia. In the e-C3 Van, you also get a much beefier 111hp electric motor on the front axle (it's just 65hp in the Dacia), propelling this Citroen to 62mph in around 11s en route to 84mph. Like all C3s, this one sits on an electrified version of the simpler 'Smart Car' platform the brand developed for emerging nations in India and Latin America. Ride comfort is a traditional Citroen attribute, so the Advanced Comfort shock absorber hydraulic bump stops from larger models are welcome here. The remainder of the damping set-up is conventional, with MacPherson strut front suspension and a torsion beam rear end. Those still unconvinced by (or unprepared to pay the price for) EV technology, will be disappointed that there's no combustion version of this little LCV.

Design and Build

You have to look pretty closely to tell this e-C3 Van apart from its e-C3 supermini stablemate. Which you might like. Parking one of these in your drive at weekends won't have the neighbours constantly thinking that you're having a lengthy Amazon delivery. The squarer looks of this fourth-generation C3 suit this LCV model and certainly create a practical shape. Roof rails, colour clip inserts, front and rear skid plates and glossy black roof bars give a trendy vibe. Inside, obviously the main difference is that this the rear bench seat has been removed and there are darkened rear windows. But the front of the cabin is of course just like any other e-C3 and, you might think, comes very well equipped for a van. There's no instrument binnacle. Only what the brand calls a 'head-up display', which actually isn't that at all; instead, it's a narrow letterbox-like strip which houses a small selection of digital instruments, primarily speed and range. This works with the almost equally unusual oblong-shaped over-buttoned steering wheel. You get a central infotainment screen, a 10-inch monitor that at last Citroen has learned not to over-burden with climate controls, which are separated out lower down. Fabric inserts and novel detailing supply the required Gallic vibe, as do the squashy Active Comfort seats.

Market and Model

The e-C3 Van was priced from launch at about £20,000 after deduction of the available £2,500 Plug-in Van Grant. For reference, a Dacia Spring Cargo is around £16,000. This Citroen LCV is based on the e-C3 supermini's mid-level 'PLUS' trim spec - which includes quite a lot. Specifically, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, front and rear skid plates, glossy black roof bars, colour clip exterior inserts, auto headlamps and wipers and rear parking sensors. Inside, there are squashy Advanced Comfort seats with driver's seat height adjustment and 'Urban Grey' fabric upholstery. There's a soft-touch steering wheel. And a full-height mesh bulkhead and load cover shelf, along with an electric parking brake. Plus manual air conditioning and a 10.25-inch central touchscreen with 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' wireless mirroring. There are plenty of ADAS camera safety features. These include active safety brake autonomous braking, active lane departure warning and speed limit recognition. Plus all the usual airbags linked to an e-Call system that will alert the emergency services if they ever inflate. And of course, you get the usual aids for traction, braking and stability.

Practicalities and Costs

You won't be expecting to carry much in the back of a supermini-derived van and you shouldn't in this case. Citroen quotes a load area of 730-litres with the load cover in place - or 1,220-litres without it. The load area is 1.2-metres long and 1-metre wide at floor level and can take a modest 300kg payload. There's a full-height mesh and solid bulkhead. Citroen claims that the e-C3 Van is capable of rapid charging at rates of up to 100kW, which allows for a 20-80% charge in 26 minutes. At home, you'll be able to AC charge from 20-80% from 7.4kW garage wall box in just over 4 hours. If your property has a three-phase supply, you'll also be able to charge at 11kW, in which case the 20-80% charging time will fall to just under 3 hours. All versions of this model will be covered by the brand's usual unremarkable three year/60,000 mile warranty, plus the battery will have its own eight year cover package.

Summary

With the demise of van versions of the Vauxhall Corsa and Ford Fiesta over the last five years, we thought we'd seen the last of superminis made into vans simply by removing the rear seat and blanking out the rear windows. But here we are again with exactly that genre. We'd have preferred to see a properly capable replacement for the old Nemo city van, but Stellantis doesn't want to make any more LCVs like that, so this e-C3 van is the next best thing. If you get the right deal on one, it certainly makes more sense than its restricted-range Dacia Spring Cargo arch-rival. And the usability benefits over the French brand's My Ami Cargo model are huge - as you'd expect, given that an e-C3 Van is twice the price. It's still not going to be enough of a small electric van for most customers' needs (you'll need an e-Berlingo van for that), but for light metropolis deliveries, there's definitely a place for this e-C3 Van. And for the right kind of customer, it might be perfect.