Citroen C-Zero, the Next Company Car In the UK?

French manufacturer Citroen was among the first carmakers to exploit the news that EVs will receive a five-year tax break from the benefit-in-kind personal taxation in the UK. The carmaker already expressed its intention to take advantage of the benefits the new incentives for electric vehicles bring.

In the UK, all employees pay a tax for their company cars, based on its cost and its CO2 emissions. EVs were taxed with 9 percent, while internal combustion cars are taxed from 10 percent to 35 percent. From April 2010, all electric cars will benefit from the tax break.

This will come right in time for Citroen C-Zero’s official launch on the market in the last quarter of 2010, as company cars users are already able to pre-order their C-Zero. Moreover, the carmaker says that customers will also benefit from extremely low running costs with C-Zero achieving a range of around 130 km (80miles), over a standard combined cycle, from a single charge using a domestic power supply.

The C-Zero is developed in collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and is the second electric vehicle developed by Citroen after the Berlingo First Electric developed with Venturi. It comes equipped with an electric motor that develops 64 horsepower from 3,000 to 6,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 180 Nm from 2,000 rpm.

Power is transmitted to the rear axle via a single-speed reduction gear. The car goes from naught to sixty in 15 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 130 km/h. The engine is connected to a 330-volt lithium-ion battery mounted in the center of the car. The recharging process can be done via any 220-volt socket, with the whole capacity projected to be restored in around six hours.