Fire up the... Citroen C-Zero

IN THE dead of last winter, while everyone else was groaning about how much gritting wasn't being done, this little Citroen set a unique record.

The C-Zero, believe it or not, was the first electric car ever to successfully use Eurotunnel to make a cross-channel crossing between England and France. However, taking Le Shuttle isn't exactly hard for most cars, so in order to impress motorists on this side of Le Manche it's going to have to manage more than just the drive into a railway carriage.

Luckily the C-Zero's got green credentials on its side, being one of a trio of volt-powered vehicles all based around the design of Mitsubishi's petrol-engined I car (the other ones, in case you're interested, are Peugeot's iOn and Mitsubishi's own iMiev, which are almost identical in spec). It therefore comes with the gift of a Government grant, and an exemption from London's congestion charge if you're venturing down to the capital.

Unfortunately it also comes with the same snag that's bugging all electric cars on offer right now; you're not going to get to London without a series of lengthy recharges. It's not any fault of the car's, more a lack of charging points that'll let you recharge your batteries. Citroen's city slicker is just that; a city slicker that'll do 100 miles before you run out.

Yet - and I think this is the first time I've said this about an electric car - I like it. Unlike the Nissan LEAF, which is entirely conventional in its size and styling, the C-Zero's creators have remembered that it's unlikely to venture outside of the urban jungle and designed it to survive in its natural habitat. It's small and easy to park, the steering is light and responsive, it packs five people into a very small package and has styling that's just about cheeky enough to stand out. You forget it's an electric car. It's a small, simple car that makes you smile for small, simple reasons.

It is a fun little city car I'd happily spend £10,000 on as an eco-friendly city runabout. It's just a shame it costs £28,000, then.

A great car, then, ruined by a ridiculous pricetag.