C1 ev’ie

From the outside there is nothing to distinguish this electric car from a stock Citroen C1, a well-proven and popular city car. The Electric Car Corporation buys cars direct form Citroën and the first thing it does is remove the petrol engine and replace it with an electric motor in order to create the C1 ev’ie.

The car represents no compromise on practicality as it retains the design and safety features and warranty of the original - strong selling points for people being asked to spend £20,000. Most significantly, though, is the fact that it is the only four-seat electric car that is available to buy and drive away now. The C1 ev’ie may seem expensive when compared to its petrol and diesel-powered counterparts, but it is competitively priced against the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-Miev, which cost around £28,000 and £38,000 respectively and are expected to go on sale later this year.

The Electric Car Corporation claims that London drivers can save over £6,500 a year in road tax, congestion charge, free parking, low re-charging costs and lower maintenance bills.

h3. Driving the C1 ev’ie

The C1 ev’ie is not a fast car, far from it, but on the busy roads around Park Lane in central London it was an oasis of calm. The car trades the pokey nature of petrol-powered city cars for acceleration that is both near-silent and yet purposeful; pulling out into fast-moving traffic proved no problem at all. The electric motor and battery add 60kg over the weight of the original car, but this represents barely more than a full tank petrol and the car’s handling unaffected.

Verdict: An accomplished electric car that you can drive away today and well-positioned to take on rivals from Nissan and Mitsubishi later this year. Serene city driving.