Citroën C-ZERO
Encyclopedia
The Citroën C-Zero is a electric
supermini
/city car
produced by Citroën
. It was developed in collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. Its sister will be marketed by Peugeot
as the Peugeot iOn. The differences between the cars will be different exterior and interior styling and a price difference.
i-MiEV electric vehicle, based on the Mitsubishi i
, a kei car
sold in Japan
, and is the result of the partnership between PSA
and Mitsubishi. The Citroen C-Zero is one half of the PSA-Mitsubishi partnership's attempt to market electric vehicles in Europe, the Peugeot iOn being the other half. The C-Zero expands Citroëns small-vehicle range with a 100% electric car. It is designed to facilitate urban mobility: small size, quick charging and with sufficient range for daily commutes.
which proved too expensive because the cost of batteries and had limited range, so this initiative did not go beyond the experimental stage (only 5,500 units were sold).
) from 3,000 to 6,000 rpm. Its maximum torque is 180 Nm
from 0 to 2,000 rpm. The motor is powered by lithium-ion batteries, located in the centre of the vehicle.
, it is possible to recharge the vehicle to 80% in 30 minutes.
Euro NCAP also states that "Accordingly, Euro NCAP believes that the star rating of the i-MiEV can also be applied to the Citroen C-Zero."
This is because the Citroen C-Zero is a rebadged Mitsubishi i-MiEV and has the same interior structure and equipment.
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
supermini
Supermini
A superminicomputer, or supermini, is “a minicomputer with high performance compared to ordinary minicomputers.” The term was an invention used from the mid-1970s mainly to distinguish the emerging 32-bit minis from the classical 16-bit minicomputers...
/city car
City car
A city car is a small car intended for use primarily in an urban area.City cars are sold worldwide and most automotive industry manufacturers have one or two in their line-up. In North-America city cars are often referred to simply as "subcompacts" alongside the superminis. These kind of cars...
produced by Citroën
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
. It was developed in collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. Its sister will be marketed by Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
as the Peugeot iOn. The differences between the cars will be different exterior and interior styling and a price difference.
Description
The C-Zero is the French version of the MitsubishiMitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
i-MiEV electric vehicle, based on the Mitsubishi i
Mitsubishi i
The is a kei car from Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors, first released in January 2006, twenty eight months after its debut at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show...
, a kei car
Kei car
Kei cars, K-cars, or , are a Japanese category of small vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, and pickup trucks. They are designed to comply with Japanese government tax and insurance regulations, and in most rural areas are exempted from the requirement to certify that adequate parking is...
sold in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and is the result of the partnership between PSA
PSA Peugeot Citroën
PSA Peugeot Citroën is a French manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles sold under the Peugeot and Citroën marques. Headquartered in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, PSA is the second largest automaker based in Europe and the number eight in the world.-History:In December 1974 Peugeot S.A....
and Mitsubishi. The Citroen C-Zero is one half of the PSA-Mitsubishi partnership's attempt to market electric vehicles in Europe, the Peugeot iOn being the other half. The C-Zero expands Citroëns small-vehicle range with a 100% electric car. It is designed to facilitate urban mobility: small size, quick charging and with sufficient range for daily commutes.
History
Citroën had already tried to produce an electric car in the 1990s; it was a variation of the Citroën SaxoCitroën Saxo
The Citroën Saxo is a supermini produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1996 to 2003. It was also sold in Japan as the Citroën Chanson. It shares many engine and body parts with the Peugeot 106 , the major difference being interiors and body panels...
which proved too expensive because the cost of batteries and had limited range, so this initiative did not go beyond the experimental stage (only 5,500 units were sold).
Motor
The C-Zero has an electric motor which delivers 47 kW (64 hpHorsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
) from 3,000 to 6,000 rpm. Its maximum torque is 180 Nm
Newton metre
A newton metre is a unit of torque in the SI system. The symbolic form is N m or N·m, and sometimes hyphenated newton-metre...
from 0 to 2,000 rpm. The motor is powered by lithium-ion batteries, located in the centre of the vehicle.
Performance
In terms of performance, C-Zero has a maximum speed of 130 kilometre per hour, goes from 0 to 100 kilometre per hour in 15s and 37 to 56 mi/h in 6 seconds. The range of the car is 130 km (80.8 mi).Utilisation
It takes six hours to fully charge the battery with a 220 V electrical outlet. However, via an external 400 V DC terminal at 120 ACHAdeMO
CHAdeMO is the trade name of a quick charging method for battery electric vehicles delivering up to 62.5 kW of high-voltage direct current via a special electrical connector....
, it is possible to recharge the vehicle to 80% in 30 minutes.
News
Both the Peugeot iOn, which was presented at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2009, and the Citroën C-Zero are the result of a partnership between PSA and Mitsubishi to market electric vehicles in Europe. The Citroën will be available to individuals, companies and administrations and local communities. The C-Zero was premiered at the World Exhibition in Brussels in January 2010 and, like its sister Peugeot iOn, was launched on the market in the last quarter of 2010. In December 2010, the C-Zero was officially launched in Germany with a starting price of 35,165 €.Safety
Euro NCAP results, for a left-hand drive 5-door hatchback registered in 2011:- Overall:
- Adult Occupant
- Child Occupant
- Pedestrian
- Safety Assist
Euro NCAP also states that "Accordingly, Euro NCAP believes that the star rating of the i-MiEV can also be applied to the Citroen C-Zero."
This is because the Citroen C-Zero is a rebadged Mitsubishi i-MiEV and has the same interior structure and equipment.