Elcat Cityvan Dragon Electric Vehicles imports Elcat two seater minivans from Finland, originally designed for the Finnish postal service.
It is based on the Subaru Sumo van and is not unlike the familiar small Rascal/Carry vans produced by Bedford and Suzuki. The Elcat, however, has a glazed load area providing excellent visibility and a bright airy interior.
Basic lead/acid models have a maximum range of 50 miles and a top speed of 55mph. They are well built, well equipped and can climb up hills steeper than most petrol cars. The top performance models offered have a top speed of over 70 mph and a range of up to 200 miles.
At the end of the day’s driving you just plug it into a standard 13A socket ready for the next day’s work.
The Elcat Cityvan makes an ideal urban delivery vehicle or two person runaround.
Although the Finns drive on the right, the Elcat is conveniently right-hand drive and thus needs no conversion for UK roads.
It uses a 72V electric motor driving the rear wheels through a conventional 5 speed gearbox.
Range is about 50 miles at 30 mph. Full recharging (from a normal 13A mains socket) takes around 8 hours though top-ups of an hour or two may be made as well.
Top speed is around 50 mph (though not economic at this speed). Hillclimbing ability is slow but steady.
Modifications are available to improve range, speed and charging time.
The steering is unassisted but actually quite light. Vans have a diesel or petrol heater for winter use.
| Elcat - specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Body and Dimensions | ||
| Vehicle type | 2 door van with glazed load area | |
| Length | 179 cm / 70 in. | |
| Width | 115 cm / 45 in | |
| Kerb Weight | 1400 kg / 3086 lb. | Of which approx 410kg/900lb is battery. |
| Accommodation | ||
| Doors | Driver, passenger, sliding doors either side, rear tailgate | |
| Seats | Driver and passenger | Passenger seat may be quickly removed for additional luggage space. |
| Load bay height | 107cm / 42 in. | Reduced to 97cm over battery box. |
| Load bay length | 178cm / 70 in. | Longer items may be carried by removing the passenger seat which takes less than a minute. |
| Load bay width | 110cm / 43 in. | |
| Load bay volume | 1.8 cu.m / 70 cu.ft | |
| Payload | 200 kg / 450 lb. | |
| Technical | ||
| Engine | 72 volt 22 KW | |
| Gearbox | Conventional 5 speed | Driving rear wheels |
| Steering | Rack and pinion | Unassisted but light |
| Brakes | Front disk, rear drum | With electric vacuum servo pump |
| Battery pack | 12 x 6V lead acid | LI battery pack option. |
| Performance | ||
| Top speed | 55 mph | 70 mph option available. |
| Range | 50 miles at 30 mph | 100 / 200 mile options available |
| Climbing ability | Up to 1 in 3. | |
| Towing ability | Up to xx | Towbar not fitted as standard. Also see Heater below |
| Recharge time | 10 hours | Top-up charging may be done between journeys. High speed charge (4 and 6 hours) options available. |
| Other | ||
| Charge cable | In cradle in front bumper | Plugs into earthed 13A 230V socket. |
| Heater | Petrol or Diesel | Not available if towbar fitted. |
| Prices (used, low mileage) | From £5,000 to £8,000 plus VAT | Please enquire |
Availability
Please check our shop window for details of Elcats currently available.Standard and Extended range
Elcats have a standard range of 50 miles using Lead-Acid batteries.| Range needed | Additional Cost | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | Nil | No extra cost |
| 100 | £15,000 | |
| 200 | £30,000 |
Above figures are for guidance only. Final figure will depend on factors such as vehicle type and weight, top speed needed, typical use (e.g. urban, motorway) and payload.