Front view of a Citroën C-Zero Hatchback electric car on display at ecovelocity 2012
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Contributor:
John Gaffen / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
CPDTG1File size:
31.4 MB (1.5 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
4064 x 2704 px | 34.4 x 22.9 cm | 13.5 x 9 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
9 May 2012Location:
Excel, LondonMore information:
Front view of a Citroën C-Zero Hatchback electric car on display at ecovelocity 2012. What does it cost? Price £26, 216 Target Price £26, 216 Fuel per 100 miles TBA View more data Get an insurance quote New Car Deals Citroen C-Zero Buy new from £26, 216 Leasing Deals Citroen C-Zero Car leasing from £518 per month Citroën C-Zero Hatchback full 9 point review On the road Ownership In the cabin Performance 2 out of 5 stars The car is powered by a 47-kilowatt (66bhp) electric motor fed by a 16 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. There’s 140lb ft of torque from standstill, so it accelerates strongly and smoothly up to typical urban speeds and can embarrass many a small petrol or diesel car. The lack of a gearbox makes it a doddle to drive, too. The car is quite tall, but the batteries and motor are housed beneath the floor to keep the centre of gravity low. As a result, the C-Zero feels stable in the urban conditions it has been designed for, and there’s enough compliance in the suspension to absorb most of the effects of potholes and bumps. However, it doesn’t grip well if you get over-enthusiastic at roundabouts, and when you leave the city behind, the car is all too easily upset by side winds and the wake from HGVs. One of the delights of electric cars is that they are almost silent when running. In this car, there’s a bit of whirring from the motor, but it’s a mere hum in the background - in town. On faster roads, this turns into an irritating whine, and because the car is so tall it stirs up a fair amount of wind noise at relatively modest speeds. While many cheap electric cars are classed as quadricycles, which means they don’t have to meet the crash standards of cars, the C-Zero has been put through the same crash tests as anything else in the manufacturer’s range and scored a four-star Euro NCAP rating. It has stability control, emergency brake assist and six airbags as standard.