Citroën C-Zero is a four-seater measuring 3.48 metres, powered by electricity, that reaches the ambitious milestone of zero atmospheric emissions. The twin sister of the Mitsubishi iMiev, the C-Zero was developed by the French carmaker in collaboration with the Japanese manufacturer.

It comes with automatic transmission and all the comforts found in vehicles of similar dimensions (air conditioning, power steering and electric windows), and thanks to its electric motor (64 hp between 3,000 and 6,000 rpm) it is completely silent and well suited to urban driving, with a range of 130–160 kilometres. Designed to be light and aerodynamic, it has a comparatively low electricity consumption. On the C-Zero website, it is already possible to reserve your vehicle for the end of 2010 or the beginning of 2011.

Performance

The motor, powered by lithium-ion batteries positioned at the centre of the vehicle – 88 cells of 50 Ah carrying 16 kWh of energy – enables a top speed of 130 km/h, with acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 15 seconds and a pick-up from 60 to 90 km/h in six seconds.

Charging
There are two ways to charge the Citroën C-Zero: using a standard 220V socket or using special 50 kW, 400V charging points. In the first case, a full charge takes 6 hours, while in the second, 30 minutes gives an 80% charge. Thanks to the lithium-ion batteries, partial charges can be carried out without compromising battery life.

Safety
The French manufacturer has paid close attention to safety in the vehicle. The C-Zero comes as standard with 6 airbags (driver, front passenger, side and curtain airbags), two Isofix anchor points for child seats on the rear seats, an ABS braking system, ASR ESP and an electronic brakeforce distributor.