Category Archives: Citigo-e iV

Plug-in vehicle leasing demand skyrocketed in 2019, according to Vantage Leasing

March 10, 2020BMW, Citigo-e iV, Electric Cars, MINI, News, Reviews and Comment, Sales, SkodaRepost

Vantage Leasing, the personal and business contract hire company, saw a 700% increase in demand at its business for plug-in vehicles last year.

Premium brand models made up the majority of the new plug-in vehicle contracts.

The Range Rover Sport PHEV was the most popular option, accounting for 60% of all plug-in hybrid models. Even more surprisingly, it was also the most popular version of the car, making up 59% of all Range Rover Sport lease contracts in 2019.

The data points to a huge surge in plug-in vehicle interest and Vantage Leasing has now launched an ‘EV Chooser’ tool that compares key metrics for EVs – including range, price and efficiency.

Vantage Leasing has also created its own EV ranking based on how vehicles fair across those criteria, with the Skoda CITIGOe IV coming out on top.

BMW Group’s plug-in models performed particularly well. The second-most popular PHEV was the BMW 5 Series, closely followed by the BMW 3 Series and MINI Countryman. Plug-in derivatives accounted for 30% of 3 Series lease contracts and 67% of Countryman contracts.

Other strong performers included the Volvo XC90, with double the number of Twin Engine plug-in hybrid models leased in 2019 compared with 2018.

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New Skoda Citigo-e iV 2020 review

January 20, 2020Citigo-e iV, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SkodaRepost

We try out the top-of-the-range all-electric Skoda Citigo-e iV city car on British roads

Verdict 4 stars
If you’re in the market for an urban tool with minuscule running costs, and you don’t regularly need to carry more than a couple of small passengers, then the Citigo-e iV might just be the perfect choice. We’d urge you, though, to check your own usage profile first to see not only if an EV is right for you at all but also if you’re going to need much charging beyond what you can do on your own driveway. If you’re not then the cheaper version of the Skoda, without rapid charging, looks an even more appealing proposition.

There’s no shortage of electric offerings on the way – including three plug-in city cars from across the VW Group. We’ve already tried the VW e-up!, SEAT Mii Electric and Skoda Citigo-e iV abroad, but now we’ve had a chance to drive the Czech model on British roads – in the murky chill of a UK winter – to see how it stacks up.

To recap, the three models are as similar in electric form as they have been for the past eight years fitted with a petrol engine. There’s a single mechanical set-up: an 82bhp electric motor with a 36.8kWh battery that can deliver around 161 miles of range on a single charge. Even the pricing isn’t too different, with spec-for-spec models all costing between £19,315 and around £20,000 after the government plug-in car grant.

However, Skoda has gone its own way by offering a second, cheaper edition of the Citigo-e iV with a few fewer toys and, significantly for some, only conventional charging instead of the rapid DC CCS configuration that’s standard on all the other models. It’ll save you almost £2,500 over the regular model that we’re testing here, and for some people, who intend to drive their car around town with only domestic plug-ins most of the time, that will make it an astonishingly effective urban option.

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2020 set to be year of the electric car as sales soar

December 13, 2019Citigo-e iV, Corsa-e, e-208, e-Up, Electric Cars, ID.3, Kia, Mii Electric, News, Reviews and Comment, Niro EV, Peugeot, Sales, Seat, Skoda, Vauxhall, VolkswagenRepost

Experts are predicting that 2020 will be the year of the electric car as sales continue to rise.

Figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that the number of battery-electric vehicles registered in November increased by 228.8 per cent compared to the same month in 2018 – with over 4500 new EVs hitting the roads.

So far this year, nearly 14,000 electric cars have been registered in the UK, compared to 38,500 plug-in hybrids and nearly 80,000 hybrids. Mild hybrids have also seen a dramatic increase in popularity, with registrations of mild-hybrid diesels increasing by more than 450 per cent last month.

Car manufacturers are rushing to launch new electric cars in a bid to meet new emission targets set by European Union legislators. By 2021, they face strict fines if their average CO2 emissions for each car exceed 95g/km. By selling more electric vehicles (with zero tailpipe emissions) and hybrids (with reduced tailpipe emissions), average CO2 emissions will drop.

Kia recently admitted that it has 3000 customers on a waiting list for the e-Niro – something it says it intends to clear in the first half of 2020, despite previously having to halt orders as it couldn’t keep up with demand.

Volkswagen is set to launch its new electric ID range with the ID.3 hatchback, while the Volkswagen Up, SEAT Mii and Skoda Citigo city cars are also going electric-only for 2020. Vauxhall’s new Corsa is available as a pure-electric model, as is the closely-related Peugeot 208.

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Skoda Citigo-e iV priced from £16,955

December 3, 2019Citigo-e iV, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SkodaRepost

The Skoda Citigo-e iV electric city car will start at £16,955 when orders open next month – undercutting rivals like the SEAT Mii Electric and Renault Zoe.

Based on the petrol Citigo, Skoda says the Citigo-e iV has been re-engineered to incorporate a compact battery pack and 61kW electric motor, giving it a WLTP electric range of up to 170 miles on a single charge.

Buyers will be able to choose from two trim levels: SE and SE L. Both models will have the same battery and electric motor, while the Citigo-e iV has the same luggage capacity as the standard car. That means 250 litres can be stored in the boot, increasing to 923 litres with them dropped flat.

Mounted in the chassis floor, the Citigo-e iV’s compact battery has a capacity of 36.8kWh. It consists of a total of 168 cells and delivers a range of between 140 and 170 miles on the WLTP cycle. Both models can be charged using a domestic or workplace wall box.

With a 7.2kW AC wall box, the battery can be charged to 80 per cent in 4 hours 15 minutes, or 12 hours 37 minutes using a lower-powered 3.6kW home‑charging station. The SE L model can be charged faster using a CCS (Combined Charging System) charging cable connected to a 40kW DC fast charger.

When recharging via CCS, the Citigo-e iV’s battery can be recharged to 80 per cent in 60 minutes. The Citigo-e iV can also be recharged using a standard household plug socket if a wallbox is not available.

Citigo-e iV’s electric motor produces an instantaneous 210Nm of torque, taking it to 62mph in 12.5 seconds, while top speed is 81mph.

The Citigo-e iV line-up starts with the SE model, which is priced at £20,455 before the Government’s £3500 plug-in car grant. SE models are equipped with climate control air conditioning, three spoke leather steering wheel and handbrake lever, plus Swing DAB radio and remote central locking.

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