CT&T is an electric car manufacturer based in Korea. The company is mostly known for its electric golf cars and multipurpose utility vehicles, but in 2008 it also launched its first passenger city car, named the e-Zone.

The CT&T e-Zone runs solely on electric power and is built using a rigid aluminum frame combined with a lightweight fiber glass body. The vehicle features a four-wheel independent McPherson suspension system and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes as well as electromagnetic regenerative braking.

The Korean city car is put in motion by a 72-volt AC motor which can be paired with flooded electrolyte lead-acid or lithium-polymer batteries. Because its maximum power is rated at only 25 mph, the CT&T e-Zone was put in the category of neighborhood electric vehicles (NEV).

The company said that its NEV has been successfully crash tested to 30 mph and meets U.S. FMVSS301 as well as European safety standards.

Hit the jump for more information on the CT&T e-City.

2008 CT&T e-City

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2008 CT&T e-City
  • Torque: 66 @ 0
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

Exterior

The CT & T has a pretty rudimentary exterior design and don’t expect stellar build quality either, because a closer inspection will reveal many poor fittings and gig panel gaps.

The vehicle is only 2680 mm long, 1140 wide, and 1540 tall, so it’s among the smallest cars you’ll see running though your neighborhood. Its ultra compact dimensions give the e-Zone a turning radius of just 3.5 m, which allows you to drive with agility even on the narrowest streets.

Thanks to the intensive use of lightweight materials for the body and frame, the vehicle weighs only 570 kg (1256 lbs) without batteries. If you add the lead acid batteries the total weight of the vehicle will increase to 806 kg (1176 lbs). Fortunately, the car is also available with lithium-polymer batteries which are significantly lighter offering a total weight of only 680 kg (1499 lbs).

Up front, the car features a big windscreen raked at the same angle as the short bonnet. The front lights are placed pretty high into the body work and feature a simple circular shape. The front turning signals are also round, but they are placed slightly lower, being close to the bumper. To help the car get noticed in the crowd, CT&T gave it a two tone paint job, with the A pillars and the roof line being painted in a different color than the rest of the body.

Interior

You can hop inside pretty easy as the doors have a fairly wide opening. The interior design is basic, with the instrument cluster being placed on top of the central stack. Most of the controls are easy to reach and you won’t have any significant complaints about the overall ergonomic structure.

We’ll have to admit that we kind of like the seats, because they seem pretty comfortable and also come with a few useful adjustments to help you find a proper driving position.

The storage department, however, is pretty poor and apart from some cup holders, a few cubbies, and a small glove box, you won’t find anything else worthy of being mentioned. However, at the back of the car you can find a pretty practical trunk where you can store bigger items.

On the options list you’ll find electric windows, air conditioning and radio. As far as safety goes the CT&T e-Zone can be ordered with an optional airbag and not much else. However, the e-Zone is the only low-speed electric car to have passed international front and side crash tests, which is pretty impressive.

Engine and Performance

The CT&T e-City is powered by a 72-volt AC motor and is offered with a choice of two batteries. The first version is equipped with lead acid batteries which offer a small range of only 35 miles, while the second features lithium-polymer batteries which are significantly lighter and provide a driving range of up 75 miles. Regardless of what type of batteries you choose, the top speed is limited to only 25 mph.

The electric motor delivers a peak torque of 90 Nm which is available from the instant you push the go pedal. Because the maximum torque is achieved at zero rpms, the car comes without a gearbox and all you have to select is which way you want to drive - either forward or reverse.

As most of today’s EV the e-Zone is equipped with a regenerative breaking system which converts the kinetic energy used during breaking into store-able electric energy.

Conclusion

For a compact NEV, the e-Zone sounds like a decent choice. The exterior design may not win you a beauty award, but let’s admit that it will be hard to find any smart design language in this class.

The cabin offers decent head- and leg-room and it’s also pretty practical offering decent ergonomics. The 75 miles range offered by the lithium-polymer batteries is at par with what you’d usually find in this class, so we won’t complain about it either.

All these features make the Korean NEV an interesting proposition, but its biggest achievement is the fact that is one of the safest low-speed electric cars from the streets.