Citicar
Summer of 2008, I had an opportunity to purchase a street-legal electric car for the mere sum of $800, including the charger and controller.
I quickly had it shipped out to me to start playing with it. This one is a 1977 model. It really is just a rolling roll-cage. Only seats two, but it is FANTASTIC FOR zipping around town.
It may not be a classic Corvette, but it is MY little piece of automotive history.
In spring of 2009, my buddy Rich (who has a BEAUTIFUL orange CitiCar) and I trekked out to Columbia, Maryland for the first ever World Gathering of CitiCars.
Here’s a couple of videos from that event.
At another time, I met up with Rich to go to a screening of WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR in Milwaukee. He drove his CitiCar, and I followed him in the Electro-Metro.
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Please advise where DIY electric cars can be purchased. Also other electric cars may be bought. Former Oconomowoc resident- beautiful community. Thanx Art
Hi Art,
For Citicars, there are always a few for sale out there. The best place on the web for Citicar info is the Yahool “C-Cars” Group.
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/C-Car/
The EV Album is a great resource for electric car information, and has a “Trading Post” as part of it as well.
http://www.evalbum.com/
Another place to check is to find the closest Electric Automobile Association chapter. Wisconsin doesn’t currently have an official chapter right now, but the greater Chicago club is very active.
http://www.fveaa.org/
I am mainly interested about electric bicycles but your projects make me to thing about something bigger which will be excellent about my everyday commuting needs. And this small electric car seams to be perfect for that.
I just found your site and have a little tale for you all. My late friend, Vaughn I. and his business partner, Lou D. had the CitiCar franchise in Houston, Texas in the mid ’70s. They were fun cars to run around in and drew lots of attention. Lou was able to take a local television reporter with a video camera for a demonstration ride. Lou told the reporter that because of the weight of the batteries the center of gravity was very low and would prevent turn-over. In order to demonstrate this he whipped the steering wheel from side-to-side and promptly turned it on its right side. The video was televised that evening and that pretty well killed sales of the CitiCar in Houston, Texas.
Ben…I have just received your DVD set. I am enthralled by the video I am watching and find the attachments VERY helpful. (Both will take a while to absorb, digest, and initiate.)
I wondered if you have ever given any thought to “upgrading” your Citicar? What have you learned by working with it? Seems like it might be a good place for me to begin my electric car investigation and study.
Thanks. John
Glad you like the video!
No, right now, I don’t have any plans for upgrading the Citicar. I know of guys who have run them at higher voltages and converted to lithium. I HAVE run mine at 72V. Very peppy at that voltage!
The Citicar is a perfectly serviceble vehicle as it is. Mine came with a PWM motor controller in it already. I would say that that’s an upgrade worth doing.
Citicars are available used. If you are interested in one, join the “C-Cars” Yahoo group. Lots of great people on there.
Hey, great videos. my mom would love a citicar unfortunately finding one in canada is near impossible. anyway I have a project and I want to run a 5th wheel and a solar panel to charge the system for a little bit extra distance. any chance you could help me out with some ideas on hooking it up? I’m not the greatest with electricity but i’m learning.
Did you want to run an ELECTRIC 5th wheel on a gas car? In effect, making a sort of hybrid?
You don’t need to “be the greatest with electricity”, just have a love of learning. Head straight to your library, and start reading through a few books on the subject. Talk to anyone you know that is more knowlegable on the subject than you.
For unusual transportation projects, I suggest sharing your ideas at Ecomodder.com – it’s a great forum with all sorts of folks interested in DIY cleaner and better transportation. (And the founder is Canadian!)
Just thought some here might be interested in this..
I found this here site while searching for info on the Citi Car and what they are worth. They look like a lot of fun! The reason I was researching is because I found a Citi Car in the barter section of Ann Arbor Michigan’s Craig’s List (and no it’s not mine). Just thought with the apparent rarity of these cars someone might want to check it out..
Anyway, if at all interested, the ad can be found here:
http://annarbor.craigslist.org/bar/3588526937.html
I just want to buy a used/restored citicar electric in kolkata, india.. how is this possible for me?? If anybody has this answer Plz reply me @ kar.supratim9@gmail.com or call me @ 9830734030 ( plz attach std or isd codes)
These little cars have always interested me, but I’ve never owned one, though I narrowly missed one at a flea market a few years ago. I remember a dealership in Alma, Ga. back in the 70’s. Thought your readers might like to know this car is still in production, as the Buddy in Norway. They are experimenting with lithium-ion batteries and regenerative braking for a 100-mile range. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_%28electric_car%29
I have just swapped a pickup for another pickup truck and a citicar. It needs some work and I was wondering if there is a source for Parts. And what kind of batteries does it use. Right now I know it needs Windows, batteries, and a seat. Any info is appreciated.
Hi David!
Probably the best general source of knowledge for these cars is the “C-Car” Yahoo Group. The members there are very knowledgable and helpful.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/C-Car
The Citicars run on 48V (other than the very earliest ones, 36V.) They typically use 6V flooded lead-acid golf cart batteries, although some guys have done modern conversions now to lithium. An electric golf cart repair place is actually a very good resource. They would have many of the parts and knowledge to work on these.
Good luck fixing it up. They are neat little cars with a very interesting history. If possible, see if you can locate the book THE LOST CORD. It’s a great read about the history of these (and other) electric cars of the time.