We finally had a go: our first true driving experience with an electric car. Quite frankly, with time, we grew increasingly intrigued about these full electric vehicles. Everybody was boasting about the unique driving experience, and we were never to taste it, except for a very satisfying hour of city driving behind the wheel of the electric Smart, which was, admittedly, a very positive (and electrifying) experience indeed. 

But then the dynamic PR-department of Citroën proposed us a drive of their futuristic looking C-ZERO, and during four days, we were behind the wheel of a very silent and sophisticated runabout. We tested it in everyday traffic conditions, and here are our findings. Just read on…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Being based on the Mistubishi Miu, the car is already somewhat familiar to us. We drove it in the Peugeot version – as a passenger – on the Zolder circuit during its eco-week, (see further on our site) and were impressed by its agility and performance. But now we could take the steering wheel ourselves…

When driving smoothly, it is quite easy to keep the meter in the "ECO" zone when accelerating, and in the blue "Carge" zone when decelerating. The result is a very low battery consumption indeed... 

Hitting Brussels traffic after picking the car up, we were immediately charmed by its uncanny smoothness and absolute silence, making dense city driving quite a restful experience.

But of course, we kept a wary eye on the dial which indicated the remaining driving range. Starting off with full battery and a range of 122 km, it immediately plunged to 91 km as soon as we put the heater and ventilator on. 

While we were heading to our destination in the south of Brussels, we did not quite know what to expect, and as we had to drive some additional 20 kilometres in the evening before we could charge the car at home, so we decided to remain on the (very) safe side.

It needed some driver concentration, but it was rather easy to keep the driving autonomy indicator well above some 80 kilometres... 

We put the heater, ventilation and radio off, and continued our journey in silence behind the wheel donned with scarf, hat and winter coat. The range rose immediately again to some 112 km, and when we reached our destination in the southern end of town, we still had some 95 km at our disposal.

We drove the nimble C-ZERO with moderation, staying at all times, even when accelerating, in the green “ECO” zone of the power meter. This left us with enough power to keep pace with the general traffic flow. We also avoided any heavy braking, just letting the car coast and decelerate by using only the engine as a generator to (re)charge the batteries.

In the evening, we had to drive home with the headlights at full blast, so again we drove cautiously without heating and radio.

We were cautious in using heater and airco at the beginning of our test, anxious to keep the batteries well laden...  

The C-ZERO rewarded our driving style, as after some 20 kilometres it had hardly consumed any power, with the battery charge indicator remaining almost unchanged, and we reached our home destination with a remaining range of some 91 km. The headlights hardly reduced the available range.

Charging the car proved to be a breeze, as we had only to plug the car in the domestic 220 V mains. One needs a 16 Amps power outlet, which most of us have anyway. As the battery was only slightly discharged, loading it back to full capacity only took some 2.5 hours, and all this just on the (very) ordinary mains…

The next morning, it was cold and sunny, and we continued driving without any heating, just to see how the car could again cope with a distance of some 22 kilometres, consisting of suburban (country) roads and Brussels boulevards.

At the morning start, the range indicator showed 122 km. Again we stayed in the ECO zone, again gently flowing with the traffic. We arrived at our destination – after 22 kilometers - with the range indicator showing ... 121 kilometres! This amply showed that the available range, when driving gently, is at least some 130 kilometers, and more.

To open the lid for the charger contact, just pull this small lever beneath the dashboard...  

The next few days of the test, we used the heater and radio, and during our 40 km daily driving stints, we never saw the range indicator drop below some 75 km, with the battery remaining ¾ charged.

After putting one end in the mains, (photo here above) one has to wait for the light "ready" to lit up on the transformator... and then you can put the contact plug into the car, and charging begins! See the photo below...

Conclusion? For city and suburban driving, the C-ZERO is a magnificent proposition, and certainly proves its worth.

Latest generation electric technology...

The Citroën C-ZERO is powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor delivering 47 kW or 64 bhpEECfrom 3,000 to 6,000 rpm. Maximum torque of 180 Nm is available from 2,000 rpm. Power is transmitted to the rear axle via a single-speed reduction gear. We must admit, it is completely silent and vibration free.

The motor is powered by a latest-generation 330-volt lithium-ion battery system comprising 88 50-Ah cells (for onboard energy of 16 kWh) mounted in the centre of the vehicle. This battery is resistant to partial charges, and we liked this very much, as one has to get used to the rather smaller range.

…very easy to use

Running the car is indeed a breeze. When you turn the ignition key a short beep confirms that the car is running. Then just put the lever in D and the car drives silently away, just as a car with an automatic gearbox.

The car proves quite practical: with four real seats (thanks to a 2.55-m wheelbase) and a 166-litre boot, the C-ZERO responds to most needs. The rear seats can be folded for further luggage space. Standard features include also power steering, ABS, TCS,ESP, power windows, six airbags and last but not least air conditioning.

The C-ZERO proved to be quite “mature” and a very sensible proposition. It will certainly find its way (initially) in the fleets of ecology-conscious companies, and (liberal) professions who use the car for frequent short-distance city driving. The price tag is still a bit steep to convince the masses, but just wait when electric cars become more widespread…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

The badge says it all: this Citroën has zero CO2 emissions... as it drives "full electric", as the badge reads below...

The leather covered steering wheel adds a touch of luxury...