What is it?

The CitiCar is small electric car made in response to the oil embargo in the mid 70’s. It was meant as an alternative way to travel short distances on errands.

How fast does it go?

I’ve gotten it up to 38 mph on the original 3.5 horsepower engine. Others that have modified their CitiCars and Commuta Cars have gotten up in the 50’s.

How far can it go?

It was advertised to go up to 50 miles. Things can affect the distance such as weight, tire pressure, coasting to a stop, flat terrain vs up hills, traveling speed, batteries used, etc. I can currently go about eight miles. General maintenance has been improving that range as well as losing 90 pounds on a diet. A prior owner replaced the original batteries, and the reduced overall capacity affects the range as well.

How long does it take to charge?

So far, less than 18 hours… I haven’t been able to stay up long enough to know the exact time it is done charging. I usually wake up the next day and see that it’s fully charged. I suspect it is more around 8 hours to charge.

How much electric does it use?

It takes just under 3 kWh to fully charge the batteries for 29¢ at 3.6¢ per mile.

Me

How much did you pay for it?

I paid $4,000 at Burton’s Automotive in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In addition to the car, I received four radial tires, two 48 volt golf cart battery chargers, title, original documents and manuals, and a box of old battery cables. The price was reasonable given the condition of the car, the inclusion of batteries, the fact that it operated and passed a safety inspection, a recent repair to the breaks, and free delivery an hour away. I hadn’t seen other cars in such a good condition other than heavily modified cars. The majority of CitiCar and Commuta Cars found online are in disrepair, inoperable, parts-only, missing or deteriorated hubcaps, poor brakes, and untitled.

What modifications and repairs have you made?

The 18v battery capacity meter now works off of 24v. Tires have been upgraded to radial tires. Front breaks have been adjusted. Quick connect cables added to each battery to connect battery chargers via 12v and 24v configurations.

History

How many were made?

There were 4,444 CitiCar variants (CitiVan, Commuta Car, Comuta Van, CitiTruck, and a fleet of Postal vans). Quite often, these are all referred to as “C-Cars”.