Mitsubishi and French automaker Citroen signed an agreement in September to create an electric car for the European market by December 2010. This agreement included a provision that Mitsubishi’s I MiEV design would be the basis for this then-unnamed EV by Citroen. Last week, Citroen announced that this collaboration will yield the C-ZERO EV by the target date. The C-ZERO EV will join the Berlingo First Electric vehicle in Citroen’s growing EV fleet.
The Citroen C-ZERO combines a magnet synchronous motor with a 330-volt lithium-ion battery pack to ensure all-electric power. The C-ZERO battery pack can recharge from a standard household outlet in six hours with an 80% quick charge possible in 30 minutes. Citroen states that the C-ZERO EV will be capable of operating up to 81 miles per charge. Mitsubishi and Citroen found that French drivers travel an average of 19 miles per day, which would make the 81 mile range adequate for several commutes per charge.
The C-ZERO EV combines power, speed and diminutive size to appeal to European drivers interested in electric vehicles. Citroen found that the C-ZERO can reach a maximum speed of 81 miles per hour, which puts this EV well out of the neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) range. Initial testing of the C-ZERO EV found that drivers could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 15 seconds. The C-ZERO EV offers four doors, four seats and a small cargo area that makes it ideal for city dwellers without huge parking spaces.
After the initial rollout by Citroen and Mitsubishi, the C-ZERO EV will reach showrooms throughout Europe in 2011. Unless this model proves to be technically unsound or poor performing, consumers should flock to the C-ZERO EV in large numbers. The rollout announcement last week did not indicate a starting price for the C-ZERO EV but it is likely to be competitive with other hybrids and alternative-fuel vehicles. Europe is a natural market for any EV given the density of city centers, strict emissions standards and the regional reputation of Citroen automobiles. Whether it is the Mitsubishi i-MiEV or the Citroen C-ZERO EV, we should expect to see facsimiles of this compact EV around the world in the next decade.
