The CityEl is a 3-wheel lightweight
electric car
An electric car or electric vehicle (EV) is a passenger car, passenger automobile that is propelled by an electric motor, electric traction motor, using electrical energy as the primary source of propulsion. The term normally refers to a p ...
originally designed and manufactured in
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
, but currently made in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
by Citycom GmbH.
History
The CityEl was originally developed as the Mini-El by
Danish company El Trans A/S in
Randers
Randers () is a city in Randers Municipality, Central Denmark Region on the Jutland peninsula. It is List of cities and towns in Denmark, Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 64,511 ().[German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...]
investor took over and moved the company to
Aub
Aub () is a town in the Würzburg (district), district of Würzburg, in Bavaria, Germany, southeast of Würzburg and northwest of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, near the border of Baden-Württemberg. It is fed by the river Gollach and divided into t ...
. In 2009 the company was renamed Smiles AG, when it started to sell electric vehicles of other brands besides their own; but three years later Smiles experienced financial difficulties and production of the CityEl restarted with CityCom GmbH.
The vehicle is for one person, seated centrally. Rather than conventional doors, the whole top-half of the vehicle hinges upwards on gas-struts allowing access to the cockpit. An optional child seat allows the car to carry a child (up to 30 kg), sitting behind the front seat on the engine compartment, facing backwards. The driver operates car-like controls (
steering wheel
A steering wheel (also called a driving wheel, a hand wheel, or simply wheel) is a type of steering control in vehicles.
Steering wheels are used in most modern land vehicles, including all mass-production automobiles, buses, light and hea ...
, brake and
throttle
A throttle is a mechanism by which fluid flow is managed by construction or obstruction.
An engine's power can be increased or decreased by the restriction of inlet gases (by the use of a throttle), but usually decreased. The term ''throttle'' ha ...
pedals) although the vehicle is classed as an electric motorcycle in some countries.
There have been three body styles since production started. The 'Basic' version has a completely solid roof. Some versions have plexiglass side-windows. The Convertible was a fully open version no longer made by CityCom. In its place the 'Targa' version was constructed, with a removable centre soft top but solid rear windows. In America the City El was sold with a
fibreglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass c ...
roof.
1993 CityCom City-El
at avalbum.com This roof is slightly different from the factory-built City El roof.
Technical specifications
The older version had a 36-volt, 0.8 kW motor and in 1990 a 2.5 kW motor with three 80 Ah lead acid batteries, a (Series1) to (Series2 and up) top speed and a range of (Series1) or (Series2). The consumption from Series2 and up was 7 to 9 kW·h/100 km. The new version FactFour has four lead acid batteries, a much better 4 kW electric motor
An electric motor is a machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a electromagnetic coil, wire winding to gene ...
that provides a top speed and range. The consumption is 3.5 to 5 kW·h/100 km. When the FactFour was introduced, Smilies started to offer a lithium-ion battery
A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses the reversible intercalation of Li+ ions into electronically conducting solids to store energy. Li-ion batteries are characterized by higher specific energy, energ ...
as an alternative, giving the vehicle a range of more than . The City El is regularly modified by enthusiasts and it is common to see City Els powered by alternative batteries, such as the nickel-cadmium battery or a different lithium-ion battery. The improved performance and range given to the City El by using such batteries make them a viable town commuting vehicle with enough acceleration to keep up with city traffic.
A City El weighs , and the front end can be lifted quite easily. When the batteries are removed it is possible for three people to lift a City El off the ground. When a City El is retrofitted with 100 Ah Thunder-sky lithium-ion batteries, the car becomes approximately lighter, bringing the weight of the City El well under that of some motorbikes. At this point the driver has to take extreme care driving at or more in moderate crosswinds to prevent the City El from being blown about.
, the City El features a 4.5 kW motor powered by a 48 V lithium iron phosphate
Lithium iron phosphate or lithium ferro-phosphate (LFP) is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a gray, red-grey, brown or black solid that is insoluble in water. The material has attracted attention as a component of lithium iron phosp ...
battery capable of storing from 60 to 100 Ah, i.e., up to 4.8 kWh.
See also
*Cyclecar
A cyclecar was a type of small, lightweight and inexpensive motorized car manufactured in Europe and the United States between 1910 and the early 1920s. The purpose of cyclecars was to fill a gap in the market between the motorcycle and the c ...
*List of motorized trikes
Motorized tricycles, also called trikes, are sometimes considered cars. There are three typical configurations: motorized bicycle with sidecar; two wheels in the rear, one in the front (aka trike); and two in front, one in the rear (aka reverse ...
References
* Hans-Ulrich von Mende, Matthias Dietz & Benedikt Taschen (Sep 1994), ''Kleinwagen, Small Cars, Petites Voitures'', Taschen
Taschen is a luxury art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. As of January 2017, Taschen is co-managed by Benedikt Taschen and his eldest daughter, Marlene Taschen.
History
The company began as Tasch ...
.
Coverage on CityEl
in the TV show "Das! mobil", July 27, 2005, on German TV channel NDR Fernsehen
* Coverage in German magazin
''Solarmobil''
issues 55/56, 57, and 59. ISSN 0941-102X
External links
German homepage of the producer
French homepage of the importer
Danish homepage of the importer
Service/Dealer homepage
(German)
Service/Dealer Homepage
(Danish)
British City El driver who uses her City El as daily transport
Battery Vehicle Society with active City El forum
German forum for City El owners
an
its wiki
Yahoo English Language group for City El and Mini El owners
Elektromobil
German language site for CityEL and other electric vehicles
EcoCarForum
includes forum for eco-friendly cars including the CityEL
Ellert.info
Danish site, with much information about the CityEL and Mini-el]
{{Automotive industry in Denmark
Electric three-wheel vehicles
Electric cars
Car manufacturers of Denmark
Car manufacturers of Germany