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Old 02-21-2009, 06:09 PM   #1 (permalink)
Bearleener
Efficiency freak
 
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Berlin, Germany
Posts: 58

Frugolf - '96 VW Golf wagon
90 day: 40.36 mpg (US)
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Citroen Berlingo Electrique

A couple of days ago I had the pleasure of trying this small delivery van, which Citroen built from 1995 to 2005. It has a 27-kW motor and runs on Ni-Cd batteries (the owner says there's no memory effect problem if you run the batteries down to near empty every few weeks). The car has a top speed of 100 km/h and a range of 100 km in the summer and 80 km in the winter. Energy consumption is 15 kWh / 100 km. Ideal for city driving. Recharging takes 6 hours. Like all EV's it's fun to drive because of it's quiet and has tons of low-speed torque. The only real noise is the electric power steering booster pump. For cabin heating it uses a diesel-powered Webasto unit. What takes getting used to is the regenerative braking feature, which causes noticeable braking as soon as you let off the gas. But you can dose it pretty well.

Here's some more information on the car.
Berlingo Electrique Enthusiast Site

Apparently Citroen is now building a new version with something like a 45-kW motor and Zebra batteries. The French mail ordered 500 of them.

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