Battery size: 5.6kWh (x2)
Miles per kWh: 8.2
E-Rating™: A++
Max charge rate: 3kW (or exchange)
Range: 50 - 98 miles WLTP
Introduction and model history
Following in the tyre tracks of the Renault Twizy and Citroen AMI, the Silence S04 is a new, urban microcar designed to offer maximum about-town convenience at minimum cost.
That does come with some compromises. After all, the Silence S04 is only 1.29m wide, 2.28m long, and it weighs around 450kg - but it can only seat two people and it has a 52mph top speed. Basically, if you’re looking for something to commute through the middle of the city, or even to deliver last-mile packages, the Silence S04 in passenger- or van guise could be great solutions.
If you need to get the kids in it, or regularly cover mileage outside of urban areas, yet want to keep costs as low as possible – the Dacia Spring or Leapmotor T03 are likely to be much more appropriate.
Range, battery and charging
The Silence S04 is available with one 5.6kWh battery, which is good for a WLTP range of 50 miles – and the vehicle is limited to 28mph. Or you can opt for 11.2kWh model (which is fitted with two of the same battery packs) for a range of up to 109 miles. Interestingly, the Silence S04 has been designed with battery-swap technology in mind, and the company (which has tied up with Nissan in recent years so that the S04 is being sold from Nissan dealerships) has launched some battery swap centres in Europe.
Check out the used electric cars available for under £8000 on Electrifying.com
There’s no news yet on whether Silence will roll out battery-swap stations in the UK, though, so watch this space on that one.
Charging the Silence will take between seven- and nine hours from a three-pin domestic socket, or less if you’ve only got the single battery model. There’s no rapid charging.
Practicality and boot space
Well… Practicality, you say? Hmm. It depends on how you think of the Silence S04 as to how practical it is. Ultimately, the fact that it can carry two people in a vehicle that’s the width of two pedal bikes side-by-side is fairly impressive. More than that, the boot is deceptively big as it’s very deep, which gives you 217-litres of space! That’s massive for such a dinky car. It’s actually 7 litres more than you get in the electric Mini hatchback! There’s also the cargo version of the Silence, which sacrifices the second seat for more cargo room.
Viewed next to the Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03 you could argue that the Silence is hopelessly impractical. But compared with the Renault Twizy and even the Citroen Ami, the S04 is actually very good for load space and practical touches. I mean – it’s also got windows, which is more than you can say for the Twizy! Very practical.
Interior, design/styling and technology
You’d imagine that the narrowness will make the S04 feel very cramped inside, but there is some more cleverness here, because the seats are offset - so the passenger is slightly behind you and you don’t bang elbows. Neat!
It’s left-hand drive only, even in the UK, but that’s not really an issue in a car of this size so don’t let that put you off. It also means you can step out straight onto the pavement as a driver. On the flip side, if you’re doing a school run then your kid will have to get out into the traffic. Or climb over you.
Talking of safety, the Silence S04 does feel a bit more solid than the Ami but it doesn’t legally need any of the protective gadgets we’ve got used to, as it’s not officially a car – it’s a quadricycle. So there’s no airbags, for example. The generic style and shiny plastics in here do look pretty cheap in a cheery-but-functional kind of way, but it’s a step up from the Ami in terms of equipment, with an infotainment screen and everyting! Pure luxury, that is. You also get proper electric windows, climate control, a multifunction steering wheel and Bluetooth.
Running costs and pricing
The Silence S04 isn’t the cheapest of these urban specialists when it comes to list price, but for 2025 there’s been an update with the addition of a battery subscription model. This means that you’ll pay as little as £8,500 for the S04 – some 40% less than the price if you buy the battery, too. But, of course you won’t own the battery for that. You own the vehicle, but the battery will cost you around £35 - £45 per month depending on the contract you go for. Basically, it means you can get into the Silence S04 for much less, and then you don’t need to worry about the battery health because you don’t own it.
It's great that Silence is offering the flexibility of a battery lease deal, or of buying- and owning the vehicle and battery. But it has to be pointed out that, no matter how you look at it, a Citroen AMI is usefully cheaper.
Or, I can’t help but think… used Renault Zoe or Mk1 Nissan Leaf, anyone?
Verdict
I love these urban specialist cars, and I really do think they make a lot of sense and have a place in the electric car world. But it does feel to me like they make most sense as an inner-city car hire solution, which is also where the Silence S04’s battery-swap technology could potentially be put to best use. Imagine that, if you could hire a car by the hour for a really low cost, and also guarantee a full battery when you pick it up because it’s stored at a battery swap centre? Perfect. That’s the sort of thing that I think the Silence S04 will be perfect for. Or, potentially, for business fleet and last-mile stuff I can also see a useful role.
But as a retail buyer? Hmm. I’d definitely take an old, used electric car over any of the electric microcars, I’m afraid – and with the Silence being quite a bit more expensive than the Citroen AMI it’s even harder to justify.
I’m pleased it’s here, we just need to work out where and how the Silence can best be utilised, because it’s not likely to be a huge hit with private buyers.
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