Author's Car rating: 
| Advantages: |
quiet, no emission, good look, low insurance price, low power price |
| Disadvantages: |
high battery price |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
As I wrote in my last review, I own and drive a electric car. It is my second electric car and I own and drive the Citroen Saxo electric since May 1998.
Until now I drove over 100.000 km with this car. Time to write a review!
Until now I had with this car never a breakdown. Drove from vienna to Hamburg and back. From Monaco to Vienna,...
Looks
~~~~~~
The Citroen Saxo is a very good and sporty looking small car. It have a very good and expensive look.
Consumption
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To charge the battery full, it need approx. 7-8 hours. After the 4. hour, it is near "0" charge. The reason is, that the battery charger (in the car) charge within the first 4 hours all batteries tougether. Here the batteries can get a little bit power difference. After 4 hours the charger charge every battery singular to the same power. This need more time and do not need much power. The car take approx. 17 kWh power if I charge it full. With this 17 kwh power I can drive approx. 100 ks (62 Miles)
1 l petroleum have approx. 10 kWh power. This means that my car need for 62 miles approx. 0.373 gallons(UK) (1.7 liter) petroleum.
Conversions from Liter to Gallons
http://www.dirk-schuldt.de/einheit/vol.html
To charge my car I need a normal general power outlet (the same as my computer or Television use) with 230 Volt.
Reach
~~~~~~~
With one Battery charge it is possible to drive in summer approx. 100 km. (sometimes I drove 150 km, but normally 100 km)
I found a length converter at:
http://www.knives.at/knifeshop/local/convert.html
100 km are 62.14 Miles.
With Winter wheels I can drive approx. 80 kms.
After a charge of 4 hours the Battery have the power that I can drive above distance.
Engine
~~~~~~~~
The power of the engine are 15 kW. Thats not much but the efficiency of the engine is approx. 90%. With this efficiency I have only a little bit lower power on the street as other cars.
Insurance price
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As my engine power is low, I pay also only a low insurance for the car. approx. 70 Euro each year.
Price of the electric power
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have the possibility to take at night for the electric car "night power". The price for this power is lower as for "day power".
the price is approx. 0.10 Euro for each kW/h with power from Atom, Coal, Gas,...
But I use only renewable power from wind, biomass, sun,... the price for this power is a little bit more 0.13 Euro for each kW/h. And I can say that my car do not have any emission!
Quality
~~~~~~~
Until now I had no "really" problem. The garage with Citroen workers are very expensive at the service. At this reason I use a non Citroen garage for the regular car service.
Volume
~~~~~~~~~
My car have 3 doors, 4 seats and a boot. I think that in the boot can fit 3 bear boxes. I is possible (tested) that I drive with one woman, 2 children and two baby buggies.
Features
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Driver Airbag
Electric windowcontrol
power steering
power brake
very good Battery scale
the car do not have a gear
The car weight is a little bit over 1000 kg.
Practice experience
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is not possible that the Battery will be unforeseen emty because the Battery Scale work very good. It is for me easy, that I can say the reach, which it is possible to drive. Normaly I say that for 100% power, it is possible to drive 100 km. But if I drive careful it is possible to drive with only 30% power 50 km.
When I drive with the car, the engine is very quiet. There are only the wheels which make a little "sound". It is for me very pleasant to drive with this car.
The maximum speed are 91 km/h
If I use the brake, the engine will make power and give the power back to the battery. This make the reach also through montains similar high as in a town.
My personal opinion is that this is the perfect car for persons he live in the town or have up to approx. 50 km to the work. I drove with the car already to vacation. I do not like the expensive Citroen service prices.
Battery service
~~~~~~~~~~~
Citroen make the Battery service apporx. 2-3 times every year. For the battery service I have a agreement for which I pay 18 Euro every month and Citroen make the service and if the Battery will break then I receive new. After 80000 kms I received 20 new batteries for my car.
Battery Scale
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have two differenc battery scales. One where I can read the total power from the battery and one where I can read the current power which I use or which I give to the battery (if I use the brake)
Technical details
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
weight: 1060 kg
maximum overall weight: 1430 kg
maximum speed: 91 km/h
revolutions 1600
emissions (g/km): 0
acceleration from 0 to 50 km/h: 8,3 seconds
Batteries
+++++++++
20 NiCd Batteries and each have 6 Voltage / 120Ah, total tension 120 Voltage
Energy demand 18 kW/h for 100 km
Energy demand within the first 4 hours: 3 kW each hour, in the 5. hour 2 kW and within the last 3 hours total 4 kW/h
The Energy demand can be a little bit different from charge to charge. Normaly it is between 16-18 kw/h.
kW/h means: Kilowatt each hour
Possible grant /sponsorship
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please ask your government.
I received 20% from my local government.
Car insurance:
I pay 70 Euro every year. My parents pay for a petroleum car approx. 500 Euro every year.
Car price
~~~~~~~~~
The car is no longer in manufactur
But some years ago I saw the car as new car (sale out) for 8000 Euro. The regular price (also paied by me) was 18000 Euro
Petroleum prices are rising and rising. At this reason are electric cars a alternative to petroleum cars. And electric cars do not have emissions. The engine do not need power if you are waiting at the traffic light, the car make power if you use the brake. It is a good car for persons as me because I drive only approx. 10000 Miles (15000 km) every year.
At Ciao Germany it is possible to upload pictures to every review. Isn't it here or is it only that I am unable to find the link?
02.05.2005
02.05.2001
