Item: Citroën e-Dispatch
Rating: 5
Author: What Car? Team

Citroen Berlingo Electric

Citroen e-Relay

Citroën e-Berlingo Van

Citroën e-Dispatch

Fiat E-Ducato

Ford E-Transit

Ford Transit Custom PHEV

Maxus e Deliver 3

Mercedes eSprinter

Nissan e-NV200

Peugeot Partner Electric

Peugeot e-Boxer

Peugeot e-Expert

Peugeot e-Partner

Renault Kangoo ZE 33

Renault Master ZE

Toyota Proace City Electric

Toyota Proace Electric

Vauxhall Vivaro-e

Volkswagen e-Crafter

Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Costs & verdict

The Citroen e-Dispatch costs quite a lot more than a diesel-powered one, but the flip side is that you should enjoy significantly cheaper running costs. As a rule of thumb, the day-to-day running costs of an <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-electric-vans-2021/n21136">electric van</a> are about a fifth of the costs of&nbsp;a diesel van, but it&nbsp;depends&nbsp;how you use it and when you&nbsp;charge up.&nbsp;

Residual values for the e-Dispatch are impressive by the standards of the class and in line with the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/expert/van/review/n22957">Peugeot e-Expert</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/proace/van/review/n23068">Toyota Proace Electric</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/vivaro-e/van/review/n22197">Vauxhall Vivaro-e</a>. Indeed, all four vans hold on to their value better than premium rivals such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/abt-etransporter-61/van/review/n22641">VW ABT eTransporter</a> and Mercedes eVito – we suspect their relatively good electric ranges make them more appealing long-term prospects.&nbsp;

Entry-level X models are fairly well equipped with air conditioning, cruise control (with speed limiter), one-touch electric windows, twin sliding rear doors and a passenger bench seat with under-seat storage.

Mid-level Professional trim adds to this with rear parking sensors, automatic headlights, automatic windscreen wipers, the load-through bulkhead we mentioned earlier and the uprated 7.0in touchscreen infotainment system. It’s a pretty modest selection which is why mid level Enterprise would be the trim we would recommend as it adds an alarm, parking sensors and a load-through bulkhead and the 7.0in infotainment system we mentioned earlier.

Range-topping Driver trim includes electric heated mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, built-in sat-nav, a head-up display&nbsp;and a safety-pack which includes blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning, speed limit recognition, an advanced emergency braking system&nbsp;and automatically adjusting headlights. It’s an expensive trim, but compares well with other vans available.

The e-Dispatch is one of the few vans on the market capable of rapid charging at up to 100kW. That means you can get from 0% to 80% in a charge time of just 30 minutes for the small battery or 45 minutes for the large one. We would advise most buyers to go for the larger unit as the extra 60-odd miles of range makes it one of the most useable electric vans currently on sale.&nbsp;

All e-Expert’s are backed up by a three-year and 100,000-mile warranty for the vehicle and an eight-year warranty on the batteries.

The Citroën e-Dispatch’s 100kW electric motor (134bhp) looks a little weedy on paper compared with&nbsp;the standard <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/dispatch/van/review/n18249">Dispatch</a>&nbsp;fitted with the&nbsp;range-topping 174bhp diesel engine. In&nbsp;the real world, though, the electric motor’s ability to provide instant torque (192lb ft to be precise) from a standstill makes it feel very punchy away from the lights.

Of course, with its bluff front end and heavy kerb weight, acceleration does start to tail off north of 60mph, but its overall performance is not dissimilar to its diesel engine counterparts, or other alternatively-fuelled vehicles in the sector.

As we mentioned in the Introduction section, Citroën claims a WLTP-certified range of 143 miles for the smaller 50kWh battery and 205 miles for the larger 75kWh battery. We reckon those figures are a bit ambitious, though. We would estimate that, with careful driving, it would manage&nbsp;around 110 miles with the 50kWh battery and 175 with the larger 75kWh unit. If you’re looking for a van to use on long journeys regularly, a diesel Dispatch will probably suit you better.

The van defaults to Normal driving mode when you start it up. That&nbsp;gives you a small level of regenerative braking (which recovers energy to top up the battery), comparable to very gently pressing the footbrake. There's a B mode button on the dashboard which lets you increase&nbsp;the effect significantly. If you press it,&nbsp;you’ll find that when you lift off the accelerator there’s a very obvious slowing down, to the point that the force is enough to activate the brake lights.&nbsp;

It’s effective, but a third, even more powerful mode would be welcome, while having the selection controls on the steering wheel rather than a button on the dashboard would make toggling to the optimum setting easier. We prefer the way the Mercedes eVito integrates its settings.&nbsp;

We found that Normal (which gives you access to 80% power and torque) was the ideal city driving mode. If you’re carrying the maximum payload, though, we’d recommend switching to Power mode. Eco mode cuts the available power to 60% of the total and torque down to 70%. That will help stop you zapping through all of your battery reserves, but be aware that acceleration is greatly decreased.&nbsp;

The same is true when towing. The e-Dispatch is among&nbsp;the few <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-electric-cars-2021/n17000">electric vehicles</a> (EVs) with a rated towing capacity. Like the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/expert/van/review/n22957">Peugeot e-Expert</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/proace/van/review/n23068">Toyota Proace Electric</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/vivaro-e/van/review/n22197">Vauxhall Vivaro-e</a>, the e-Dispatch is able to pull up to one tonne, which is impressive.

Overall, the e-Dispatch stops and goes well by the standards of the class. Wind and road noise are also mightily impressive, while the complete absence of engine noise makes it significantly more relaxing to drive than an equivalent Dispatch diesel.

Electric vans are a bit like London buses – you wait ages for one then a few turn up once. In the case of the&nbsp;Citroën e-Dispatch and its cousins, it's actually four.

You see, the e-Dispatch shares a platform with three other electric-powered load-luggers, the&nbsp;Peugeot e-Expert, Toyota Proace Electric and Vauxhall Vivaro-e&nbsp;(essentially, they're all the same vehicle).

The idea of an electrified Citroen van is nothing new, of course. The French manufacturer has offered the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/berlingo-cv/van/review/n20217">electric Berlingo</a>&nbsp;small van in the UK for a while, but the e-Dispatch and its three close relatives&nbsp;could be the first to address the primary concerns of first-time EV buyers. Namely load-carrying ability (particularly reduced payloads due to the weight of batteries) and range anxiety.

Citroën has tried to reduce the fear of running out of power by giving buyers the option of two different battery sizes: 50kWh and 75kWh. They give the e-Dispatch an official range of 143 or 205 miles respectively according to the WLTP test procedure. All models are powered by a 100kW (134bhp) electric motor producing 192lb ft of torque.

The e-Dispatch is available in three body sizes, which opens it up to a greater number of buyers, from those who want something similar in size to the diminutive Renault Kangoo Maxi&nbsp;all the way up to those who require a full-sized van (load volumes range from&nbsp;5.1m3 to 6.6m3). Payload capacity isn’t as far off its diesel counterpart as you might expect.&nbsp;

Competition for the e-Expert comes in the shape of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/maxus/e-deliver-3/van/review/n22665">Maxus E Deliver 3</a>, Mercedes eVito, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/nissan/e-nv200/van/review/n20139">Nissan e-NV200</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/abt-etransporter-61/van/review/n22641">VW ABT e-Transporter</a>&nbsp;and, of course, its closely related cousins, the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/expert/van/review/n22957">Peugeot e-Expert</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/proace/van/review/n23068">Toyota Proace Electric</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/vivaro-e/van/review/n22197">Vauxhall Vivaro-e</a>. There are also several hybrid models you could consider, including the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/transit-connect/van/review/n20263">Ford Transit Custom PHEV</a> and the London taxi-based <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/levc/vn5/van/review/n21988">LEVC VN5</a>.

Don't forget, we can help you find the best leasing deals through the free <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-leasing/">What Car? Leasing</a> section, where you can get a quote for whichever make and model of&nbsp;car or van fits your personal or business needs.

You have to look very closely to spot the differences between the Citroen e-Dispatch interior and the one in the regular model. Indeed, the biggest difference between the two is the instrument cluster. Instead of a rev counter, there's a power meter to tell you how much energy you are using, and the fuel gauge has been replaced by a battery charge level indicator. Oh, and the trip computer has been modified to provide you with a predicted electric range.&nbsp;

The rest of the interior is as you’ll find in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/dispatch/van/review/n18249">regular Dispatch</a>. That means it’s comfortable and well screwed together&nbsp;but a little on the small side – a problem it shares with the virtually identical <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/peugeot/expert/van/review/n22957">Peugeot e-Expert</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/proace/van/review/n23068">Toyota Proace Electric</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/vauxhall/vivaro-e/van/review/n22197">Vauxhall Vivaro-e</a>. The seating position, for example, is quite low, while taller drivers will struggle with leg room. It doesn’t have as many&nbsp;storage compartments&nbsp;as you’ll find in a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/transit-custom/van/review/n18288">Ford Transit Custom</a> or <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/transporter/van/review/n18205">VW Transporter</a>, either.

Thin windscreen pillars and a bluff nose make navigating junctions a doddle, but parking can be a little tricky as the door mirrors are surprisingly small. Thankfully, help is at hand in the form of standard-fit rear parking sensors on mid-level Enterprise trim, with range-topping Driver trim adding front parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

Driver trim also gets automatic headlights and automatic windscreen wipers, which should help increase visibility in poor conditions, while Asphalt gets a wide range of safety features.&nbsp;

Entry-level X trim models get DAB radio and Bluetooth, but that’s your lot for infotainment. Stepping up to Enterprise adds a 7.0in colour touchscreen with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a>/<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a> smartphone mirroring, while Driver models add built-in sat-nav. The system is a little laggy at times, but there are shortcut buttons for most functions on either side of the screen and you can control some of them using buttons and dials on the steering wheel.

Citroën is probably most famous for its quirky design, and the latest cars from the brand live up to this tradition, featuring paintwork-protecting ‘Airbumps’ and eschewing the sporty looks favoured by most rivals.

Indeed, Citroën tends to keep away from sportiness altogether and instead tries to put comfort first.

Value (but not cheapness) is also key to the appeal of most Citroëns. And the company’s range includes everything from small hatchbacks (such as the C1 and C3) to big, family-friendly seven-seaters (the Spacetourer and Grand C4 Spacetourer).

The C3 Aircross SUV is another of its popular models, while a larger C5 Aircross is planned.

CITROEN

DISPATCH

Superb practicality and a useful range of body sizes make&nbsp;this one of the&nbsp;best electric vehicles on the market

The Citroen e-Dispatch's three body lengths are&nbsp;XS, M and XL. The smallest van in the line-up, the XS, is 4600mm long with a 2160mm maximum storage area length, putting it in close competition with smaller EVs such as the Renault Kangoo Maxi ZE.&nbsp;

The more conventional medium-sized M model measures 4950mm in length, with a 2510mm load length, while the long XL version stretches to 5300mm and can transport a 2860mm load. As with the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/citroen/dispatch/van/review/n18249">standard Dispatch</a>, there's the option of the Moduwork folding front passenger seat, which comes with a load-through bulkhead hatch to give 1160mm of extra storage area length – ideal for pipes or timber.

Load volumes for the XS, M and XL are 5.1m3, 5.8m3 and 6.6m3 respectively, while the all-important payload is not too badly reduced by the extra weight of the batteries. The biggest van, with the larger 75kWh battery pack, can still transport up to 1001kg, while the smaller 50kWh battery pack will give you a significant 225kg of extra carrying capacity.

There is the option of upgrading the&nbsp;payload capacity on vans fitted with the smaller battery. The e-Dispatch gets twin sliding doors as standard and is one of the only <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-electric-vans-2021/n21136">electric vans</a> currently rated with a towing weight, enabling you to pull up to one tonne.

One of the best electric vehicles on the market with a useful range of body sizes and battery options. The Citroen e-Dispatch offers superb practicality in a van with poise, comfort and plenty of premium features.

Electric Van

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Sufficient range between charges to fit in with most people’s lifestyles – and in the real world, not on some far-fetched official test </li> <li>Quick charging times and compatibility with the most ubiquitous types of public charging points </li> <li>Priced to be within the grasp of more than just the privileged few </li> <li>As with any car, ride comfort, practicality and ownership costs can’t be ignored</li></ul>

We define an electric car as one that runs purely on battery power and has no tailpipe to puff out nasty chemicals. These cars qualify for the maximum plug-in car grant (PICG) of £3500.

The Renault Zoe is one of the most affordable options and has a surprisingly long range of between 120 and 180 miles (depending on the weather and the road type). However, the Nissan Leaf and Volkswagen e-Golf are more practical and more accomplished to drive, even if the latter doesn't have a particularly long range between charges.

At the other end of the scale, Tesla’s ground-up EV philosophy – and the American brand’s own network of super-fast chargers – makes the Model S a tempting choice. It has seating for up to seven, an classy interior and a long enough real-world range to make inter-city travel a real possibility.

Electric

Citroën e-Dispatch review

Fill out our 2022 Reliability Survey - and win a prize!

Alfa Romeo Giulia

Volvo XC60

Nissan Ariya

Fiat 500

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Honda HR-V

Dacia Jogger

/news/complete-the-2022-what-car-reliability-survey-for-the-chance-to-win-a-prize/n15554

New car deals >>

site ribbon config

Read the definitive Citroën e-Dispatch 2022 review from the expert What Car? team. Check specs, prices, performance and compare with similar cars.

Electric vans are a bit like London buses – you wait ages for one then a few turn up once. In the case of the Citroën e-Dispatch and its cousins, it's actually four.,You see, the e-Dispatch shares a platform with three other electric-powered load-luggers, the Peugeot e-Expert, Toyota Proace Electric and Vauxhall Vivaro-e (essentially, they're all the same vehicle).,The idea of an electrified Citroen van is nothing new, of course. The French manufacturer has offered the electric Berlingo small van in the UK for a while, but the e-Dispatch and its three close relatives could be the first to address the primary concerns of first-time EV buyers. Namely load-carrying ability (particularly reduced payloads due to the weight of batteries) and range anxiety.Citroën has tried to reduce the fear of running out of power by giving buyers the option of two different battery sizes: 50kWh and 75kWh. They give the e-Dispatch an official range of 143 or 205 miles respectively according to the WLTP test procedure. All models are powered by a 100kW (134bhp) electric motor producing 192lb ft of torque.,The e-Dispatch is available in three body sizes, which opens it up to a greater number of buyers, from those who want something similar in size to the diminutive Renault Kangoo Maxi all the way up to those who require a full-sized van (load volumes range from 5.1m3 to 6.6m3). Payload capacity isn’t as far off its diesel counterpart as you might expect. ,Competition for the e-Expert comes in the shape of the Maxus E Deliver 3, Mercedes eVito, Nissan e-NV200, VW ABT e-Transporter and, of course, its closely related cousins, the Peugeot e-Expert, Toyota Proace Electric and Vauxhall Vivaro-e. There are also several hybrid models you could consider, including the Ford Transit Custom PHEV and the London taxi-based LEVC VN5.Don't forget, we can help you find the best leasing deals through the free What Car? Leasing section, where you can get a quote for whichever make and model of car or van fits your personal or business needs.,

New car deals >>

Citroën e-Dispatch review

Toyota Proace City Electric

Vauxhall Vivaro-e

Introduction

What Car? says...

What Car? has a buying service

Quick search

Tools & services

Legal bits

Information