Skoda Citigo-e iV EV Charging Cable

The one Skoda where a 32A cable is wasted money

The Citigo-e iV of 2020 to 2021 holds 32.3 kWh usable and does about 162 miles WLTP, which is a lot of city car for the money. Its onboard charger is quoted at 7.2 kW, and that number needs explaining, because it is a three phase figure. Split across three phases it manages 7.2 kW. On one phase, which is what a British house supplies, it draws 3.6 kW.

That is the opposite of the advice that suits the rest of the Skoda electric range, where 11 kW three phase still lands on 7.4 kW at home and a 32A cable is right. Here the car genuinely cannot take more than 3.6 kW from your driveway, so the 16A lead does everything and the money saved is better spent on getting the length right. A bigger cable cannot change this, because the limit sits in the car rather than the lead.

How long a full charge takes

Hours come from dividing the pack by the power the car actually draws, with 13 per cent added for losses. There is no 7.4 kW row because a single phase supply cannot give this car 7.4 kW however good the cable is. The three pin figure is genuinely usable on a pack this small, which is unusual and worth knowing if you are between houses.

DC rapid charging is 37 to 40 kW depending on whose figure you take, with a 10 to 80 per cent stop of about an hour. Modest by current standards, but the pack is small enough that it does not matter much.

Which length for a Citigo-e

The inlet is on the rear offside flank, on the right of the body. That is the driver's side on a UK car, and it is the same position Volkswagen Group uses on the Enyaq and the Elroq.

The Citigo is 3.6 metres long, which is the shortest car on this site and makes everything easier. Reverse in with the charge point on the right and 5 metres is generous. Nose in and 5 metres will usually still reach, because there is so little car to go round. Buy 10 metres only if the charge point is genuinely far from the bay. The measurement that counts is the one taken with the car in its usual spot, plus a margin for the slack the lead needs.

How these cables are built

It is made to IEC 62196-2, CE marked, and sealed to IP55 across a -30C to +50C temperature range.

Three pin leads are made to IEC 62752, CE marked and IP67 sealed, with a -30C to +60C specification. The manufacturer warrants it for two years, delivery in the UK is free and next working day, and returns run to 30 days.

Related: Skoda Elroq EV Charging Cable, and Skoda charging cables for every other model we cover. For a wall box or public post the lead is the Type 2 to Type 2 charging cable.

Skoda Citigo-e iV charging cable questions

What cable does a Citigo-e iV need?

A 16A Type 2 to Type 2 cable. On a single phase British supply the car draws 3.6 kW, so a 32A lead would finish at exactly the same time for more money.

Why is it only 3.6 kW when the spec says 7.2?

Because the 7.2 kW figure is spread across three phases. A house has one phase, so the car gets a third of it. This is one of the few cars on the site where that genuinely changes what to buy.

How long does a Citigo-e take to charge?

About ten hours from empty at 3.6 kW on the 32.3 kWh pack. From a three pin socket it is nearer sixteen, which is slow but viable on a battery this size.

Where is the charge port?

The rear offside flank, the right of the body, which is the driver's side on a UK car. Both the AC and DC connectors sit behind the same flap.