| First Drive | Uxbridge, England | Electric Car Corporation C1 ev'ie |

Take one already useful urban run-around, strip out its existing drivetrain and replace it with some batteries and an electric motor. That's exactly what the Electric Car Corporation has done to create the C1 ev'ie, a plug-in urban dodgem.

In the Metal

If it wasn't for the stickers saying so you'd have a job realising that the C1 ev'ie is anything but a conventionally powered Citroen C1. The decals aren't some dealer-fit special edition though (the 'electric' motifs more than merely a means of getting more money for some jazzy seat covers and a few optional extras); instead they point to the fact that this is a C1 that you plug into the national grid via a conventional three-pin plug.

What you get for your Money

You'll pay a hefty premium for this C1, regardless of its 'special edition' look. The ev'ie costs a not insubstantial £16,850 in VT three-door guise. That's at least double what you'll pay for a petrol or diesel powered version in a Citroen showroom. You'll spend as much as £17,700 on a VTR five-door model, and if you're after metallic paint on any then you'll need to find another £250. That's more than you'll pay for a Honda Insight, which although not fully electric will carry four in greater comfort, further and still allows you a good degree of environmental smugness behind the wheel.

Driving it

There's no noise when you start up the ev'ie, just some lights on the dashboard to tell you it's ready. Push the 'forwards or backward' lever into the desired position, brush the accelerator and you're off. Slowly. Unlike many newer electric vehicles the acceleration isn't startling in the ev'ie. Leisurely is perhaps he best way to describe it, the ev'ie also topping out at just 60mph. Really, that's enough, as venture too far from the city and you'll soon be in flat battery territory. Figure on a range of around 70 miles, though we'd be getting nervous at around 50 miles. Especially if you're four-up, the Electric Car Corporation marketing the ev'ie as the only four-seater electric car you can buy. Whether that's true or not that does mean its electric motor is hauling around three additional seats, which, for the majority of journeys, it doesn't need to.

In every other respect, driving the ev'ie is just like its C1 cousin, though the absence of engine noise does make it more serene. Only for a while, as range anxiety is always an issue, the virtual extension cord limiting journeys to 30 miles from a friendly and willing power source. The charge of the battery remains a constant focus and it impacts on your driving style, the need to conserve every precious ounce of charge meaning you do tend to drive like a cautious nun.

Inside, it's all just regular Citroen C1, except if you like cooled air you'll have to do with winding down a window, as the ev'ie isn't available with air conditioning - it's too power hungry. That's not ideal when you're sat sweltering in a traffic jam in town.

Worth Noting

A full charge takes around seven hours, which equates to about 90 pence on an extremely favourable overnight electricity rate. That's just over a penny a mile - assuming you get your full 70 miles - which is undeniably impressive. Being based on an existing production car, the ev'ie benefits from the crash-testing and airbags of the regular C1, so it's a good deal safer than some of its terrifyingly flimsy electric car competition. The ev'ie is only as green as the electricity you put in it though, so unless you've got a source that's certified carbon neutral all you're doing is relocating your CO₂ output up the supply chain.

Summary

Think of the Citroen ev'ie as an evolutionary step in the right direction rather than a revolutionary leap. With petrol or diesel C1s able to return over 60mpg and CO₂ emissions of just over 100g/km, all while offering the use of a conventional refuelling infrastructure - and for significantly less money - it's difficult to make a solid case for the ev'ie. For those wanting to make an environmental statement it's a fine thing, but range, charging times and costs need to improve for it to become a viable mainstream proposition.