Summary
The Citroën ë-Berlingo is an electric van-based people carrier that first arrived on UK roads in 2021. It is the EV version of the regular Berlingo people carrier that has recently been discontinued, and is nearly identical to the likes of the Peugeot e-Rifter and Vauxhall Combo-e Life.
As part of parent company Stellantis’ EV strategy, all of the company’s passenger vans are now electric-only (although petrol and diesel are still available for regular commercial vans).
The ë-Berlingo has been widely praised for its practicality and relaxing driving experience, but frequently criticised for its rather short battery range.
Darren Wilson of Auto Express argues that the ë-Berlingo is the “ideal car for a family with a small business”, as its more spacious inside than similarly priced SUVs and estate cars, and it is both cheap and quiet to run. The Telegraph‘s Alex Robbins adds that this electric people carrier’s price is “reasonable, albeit not an outright bargain”.
Being based on a van, many of the interior fittings and trims are not as slick as some car-based rivals. And within the Stellantis family, the Vauxhall Combo Life probably provides better value for money overall – although that depends on the final price you’re paying for the vehicle.
An updated ë-Berlingo arrived in the UK in Spring 2024. This features a minor styling update, improved battery range, enhanced interior comfort and better infotainment technology. However, it’s still the same basic vehicle, so key dimensions and overall attributes will remain the same.
As of January 2025, the Citroën ë-Berlingo holds a New Car Expert Rating of B, with a score of 69%. It gets top marks for its low running costs and zero tailpipe emissions, although its safety rating is merely average. It’s also worth noting that we don’t yet have any reliability data yet, so check back again soon.
- Citroën Berlingo (2018 to 2022) – Expert Rating
- More Citroën Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features
ë-Berlingo highlights
- Quiet zero-emission driving
- Spacious and practical interior
- Well-equipped as standard
- Plenty of boot space
ë-Berlingo lowlights
- Comparatively short range
- More expensive than diesel-powered Berlingo
- Some electric rivals are slightly better value
- Fiddly infotainment
Key specifications
Body style: People carrier
Engines: electric, battery-powered
Price: From £32,225 on-road
Launched: Summer 2021
Last updated: Spring 2024
Next update due: TBA
Image gallery
Media reviews
Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Auto Express
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“It’s extremely practical, with loads of room, simple folding seats and three Isofix points. It’s cheap to run and ideal for shorter daily journeys around town.”
Read review
Business Car
Model reviewed: Range overview
“The ë-Berlingo still feels beefy on the road due to its sheer size, but the instant torque and quiet operation of its electric powertrain certainly helps mask its van DNA – and overall, it is quite lovely to drive.”
Read review
Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7.4 / 10
“The Citroen e-Berlingo MPV was very ‘no-frills’ before, but now has a surprisingly nice interior, lots of kit and Citroen’s latest safety features.”
Read review
Discover EV
Model reviewed: Feel XL 50kWh
Score: 7 / 10
“If you want spaciousness, modularity, comfort and an easy drive experience, the Citroën ë-Berlingo is perfect. But – and it is a big but – the modest range limits its effectiveness as practical family transport. It’s fine as a second car, but where the combustion-engined Berlingo was popular for long family holidays and road trips, this electric version doesn’t cut it with the infrastructure as it stands.”
Read review
Driving Electric
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The Citroen e-Berlingo is a spacious, practical electric family car, but doesn’t do much to distinguish its cabin from the van it’s based on.”
Author: Tom Jervis
Read review
Green Car Guide
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Citroen e-Berlingo is to be welcomed because it offers another choice for people wanting an electric vehicle, and it’s one of the more affordable EVs. It can seat five or seven, and it offers lots of luggage space, so it’s practical. Because it’s electric, it’s much better to drive than an equivalent petrol or diesel vehicle.”
Read review
Motoring Research
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“Put simply, no car at this end of the market is so very useful. Well, apart from the platform-sharing Peugeot Rifter and Vauxhall Combo Life. Which have also gone all-electric…”
Read review
Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“If you can appreciate function over form, the e-Berlingo makes a terrific family car. It’s not terribly expensive by electric car standards yet offers an exceedingly practical interior with enough room for four or more adults.”
Read review
The Telegraph
Model reviewed: M Flair XTR
Score: 8 / 10
“It doesn’t come cheap, this electric Berlingo, and you’d want this top-spec version, otherwise it just feels a bit too bare-bones. But when compared to its rivals, its price is reasonable, albeit not an outright bargain, given they tend to offer more in the way of range.”
Read review
Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview
“If ever there was a car – indeed, one with such an emphasis on practicality – that needed a long range for families to do big trips then this is it. It’s a real shame as I feel it’s going to hold this car back.”
Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
Overall score: 4 stars
Date tested: August 2018
Read the full Euro NCAP review
Adult protection: 91%
Child protection: 81%
Vulnerable road users: 58%
Safety assist: 68%
The Citroën ë-Berlingo has not specifically been tested by Euro NCAP, but the combustion-powered Berlingo people carrier it’s based on has. Euro NCAP decided in September 2022 to extend the Berlingo’s four-star safety rating to the ë-Berlingo, as both models are structurally identical.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of January 2025, the Citroën ë-Berlingo has not been tested by Green NCAP.
The Green NCAP programme measures exhaust pollution (which is zero for an electric car) and energy efficiency. Electric cars are much more energy-efficient than combustion cars, so the ë-Berlingo is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing if and when it takes place. Check back again soon.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of January 2025, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Citroën ë-Berlingo to generate a reliability rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.
As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the ë-Berlingo, we’ll publish the results here.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
Battery range | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
EV models | 209 miles | B | 167 – 213 miles | B – C |
Electrical efficiency | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
EV models | 3.4 m/KWh | E | 3.3 – 3.5 m/KWh | D – E |
Insurance group | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
All models | 22 | A | 10 – 10 | A – A |
Service and maintenance | Cost | Score |
Year 1 | £86 | A |
Year 2 | £271 | A |
Year 3 | £403 | A |
Year 4 | £556 | A |
Year 5 | £776 | A |
Overall | £2,092 | A |
The Citroën ë-Berlingo should be a very affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost data provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our technical partner, Clear Vehicle Data.
Electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for petrol and diesel cars) isn’t good, which means you don’t get as much range out of the battery as a more efficient vehicle would.
However, other costs are excellent. The insurance group is low, which will help to keep your annual premium down, while servicing and maintenance costs for the first five years are also excellent compared to most cars on sale today.
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Citroën ë-Berlingo, you might also be interested in these alternatives
Mercedes-Benz EQT | Nissan e-NV200 Combi | Peugeot e-Rifter | Toyota Proace City Electric | Vauxhall Combo Life Electric | Volkswagen ID. Buzz
More information
More news, reviews and information about the Citroën Berlingo family at The Car Expert
Buy a Citroën ë-Berlingo
If you’re looking to buy a new or used Citroën ë-Berlingo, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car
Find your next used car with Motors. Find out more
Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more
Find your next new or used car with Carwow. Find out more
Lease a Citroën ë-Berlingo
If you’re looking to lease a new Citroën ë-Berlingo, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal
Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Carparison Leasing. Find out more
Personal contract hire deals from Select Car Leasing. Find out more
Subscribe to a Citroën ë-Berlingo
If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help (PS: What’s a car subscription?)
Car subscriptions from DriveFuze.
Find out more
Car subscriptions from Wagonex.
Find out more
Car subscriptions from Cocoon.
Find out more