Cars We Hate Part 17 – Sebring-Vanguard CitiCar

Quick question: Which is the most produced electric car in the American automobile history? The answer would be this hideous Sebring-Vanguard CitiCar. The model was manufactured between 1974 and 1977 by the Sebring, Florida-based company who later on was sold to Commuter Vehicles that launched several similar models, like the Comuta-Van and the Comuta-car, cars that were produced between 1979 and 1982.

The design of the car was inspired by how a golf cart looks and the vehicle was a response to the fuel crisis of the 70s. It is a small-sized wedge-shaped EV and by 1977 they’ve made approximately 2,300 units. It was available in three variants with the original Coupe being the smallest. The first cars (SV-36) that were produced featured a 2.5 hp motor and a 36v battery pack.

Later on, they introduced the SV-48 which had a 3.5 hp motor and a 48v battery pack, along with other minor improvements. The third variant of the car was also known as the Model A and it had a 6 hp motor, while its body suffered some modifications in order to make room for heater inlet vents on the side along with permanently side windows.

The Comuta-Car that followed had a beefier 6 hp motor as well as a drive train arrangement, while the batteries were moved from under the seat to the car’s bumpers, which made the vehicle approximately 16 inches longer than the original model.

As for the CitiVan they only had a limited production of this model which was in fact an extended-wheelbase version of the aforementioned Model A variant of the CitiCar. It was manufactured and sold between 1976 and 1979 and apparently they’ve only made 11-19 units.

The Comuta-Van was the longest of them all, featuring a length that had been increased to 142 inches. This variant featured a 12 hp motor, a three-speed transmission and a 72v battery pack. It could accommodate only two passengers but it had more room for storage. All of the units that were built had a right-hand-drive configuration.

All of the variants were manufactured with space frames that were made from ABS plastic bodies and welded aluminum tubes, with a leaf spring suspension (front + rear) and solid axels. They were able to do up to 40 miles on a single charge and the top speed was about 50 mph.

Post tags: Tags: cars we hate, Other Carmakers