The CityEl is a 3-wheel lightweight

electric car An electric car, battery electric car, or all-electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using only energy stored in batteries. Compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, electric cars are quie ...

originally designed and manufactured in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

, but currently made in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

by Citycom GmbH.

History

The CityEl was originally developed as the Mini-El by

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

company El Trans A/S in

Randers Randers () is a city in Randers Municipality, Central Denmark Region on the Jutland peninsula. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 62,802 (as of 1 January 2022).German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

investor took over and moved the company to

Aub Aub () is a city in the district of Würzburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated southeast of Würzburg, and northwest of Rothenburg ob der Tauber and, nearby the border of Baden-Württemberg. The river Gollach is the main body of water. A ...

. 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 (UK), 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 ...

, brake and

throttle A throttle is the mechanism by which fluid flow is managed by constriction 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'' ...

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 different roof, made out of

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 clo ...

.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 Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cut ...

, 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 an Electric machine, electrical 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 Electromagneti ...

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 which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...

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 cross-winds 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 60–100 Ah, i.e. up to 4.8 kWh.

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 and his eldest daughter, Marlene Taschen. History The company began as Taschen Comics, pu ...

.
Coverage on CityEl
in the TV show "Das! mobil", July 27, 2005, on German TV channel

NDR Fernsehen NDR Fernsehen is a German free-to-air regional television channel targeting northern Germany, specifically the states of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Hamburg and Bremen. It is broadcast by both Norddeutscher Rundfun ...

* 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

History

Technical specifications

See also

References

External links