2013 CitroEn C-Zero New Speed Review

The New 2013 CitroEn C-Zero is a car engineered for people who value pioneering technology, innovative design and environmental responsibility. It’s also a car with plenty of style, practicality and essential equipment the only thing missing is CO2. Less is definitely more in the Citroen C-Zero being 100% electric, it has no need for a noisy conventional engine, transmission or fuel tank all this adds up to zero CO2 emissions. Naturally there’s also room for all the technology that looks after you, such as ABS with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (ebd), Electronic Stability Programme (esp) and a full quota of airbags. This is the city car reborn, but it’s arrived with everything you and your passengers need.

With a range of 93 miles, you’ve got plenty of time between charges, especially as research shows that average urban journeys are only 23 miles. A maximum speed of 80 mph means Citroen C-Zero is quite happy to travel further when you want to. Charging 2013 Citroen C-Zero couldn’t be easier. A full charge takes approximately seven hours, so can be done overnight or while parked during work. Alternatively, there is a quick charge system, which enables 80% of CitroEn C-Zero’s battery to be charged in just half an hour. CitroEn can give support and advice on getting connected to the network of charge points along with the EV website which shows all charging points available in the UK. In the next 12 months a whole new system of charge points is planned, which will make running Citroën C-Zero second nature.

Euro NCAP is informed that the Citroen C-Zero is structurally identical to the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and has the same interior fittings and levels of safety equipment. Accordingly, Euro NCAP believes that the star rating of the i-MiEV can also be applied to the Citroen C-Zero.

Inspection of the car after the frontal impact showed that several structures had reached the limit of their load-bearing capacity. The passenger compartment was judged to be unstable as the vehicle might not be able to withstand an impact at a higher speed. As a consequence, the score for the driver's chest was penalised and protection of this body region was rated as marginal. Most of the floor in the driver’s footwell was heavily distorted and this too was penalised, leading to a marginal rating for protection of the driver's feet and ankles.

 Structures in the dashboard posed a risk of injury to the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. In the side barrier impact, the driver's door opened and the car was penalised, although dummy readings showed protection was at least adequate. However, in the more severe side pole test, dummy readings of rib compression indicated poor protection of the chest. Protection against whiplash injury in the event of a rear collision was good. No problems were experienced with the high voltage electrical system which powers the vehicle: the battery was properly isolated from the bodyshell and was not damaged during the tests.

Electronic stability control is standard equipment on the C-Zero, together with a seatbelt reminder system for the front and rear seats. The bumper provided good protection and scored maximum points in Euro NCAP's tests. The front edge of the bonnet scored no points, offering poor protection to pedestrians' legs. The bonnet provided predominantly poor protection in those areas likely to be struck by the head of a child. However, the bonnet provided good protection in most of the areas where an adult's head would strike.

Based on dummy readings, the car was awarded maximum points for its protection of the 3 year dummy in the dynamic tests. The passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag is not sufficiently clear. A permanently attached label clearly warns of the dangers of using a rearward facing restraint in that seat without first disabling the airbag.

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