Citicar Electric Coupe
Year:
1975
Manufacturer:
Sebring-Vanguard, Sebring, Florida, USA
Number Produced:
2,300
Specifications:
Series‑wound DC electric motor (about 3.5 hp)
Powered by eight 6‑volt deep‑cycle batteries
Max speed 60 km/h (38 mph).
Range up to about 70 km (40–50 miles)
Description:
The Citicar was produced by Sebring‑Vanguard from 1974 to 1977 and was one of the earliest mass‑produced electric road cars in the United States. Inspired by the design of Club Car golf carts and partly as a response to the fuel shortages of the 1970s, company founder Robert G. Beaumont and designer Jim Muir developed a simple, wedge‑shaped electric vehicle for short urban trips.
Built in Sebring, Florida, the Citicar was a minimalist two‑seat electric vehicle intended for city driving. Early models used a 36‑volt battery pack and a modest motor, but by 1975 most examples were produced with a 48‑volt system and a 3.5‑horsepower electric motor, giving it a top speed around 60 km/h and a practical range of roughly 70 km on a full charge.
At its peak, production volumes were enough for Sebring‑Vanguard to be ranked among the top American automakers in the mid‑1970s, ahead of some small specialty manufacturers. About 2,300 Citicars were built before Sebring‑Vanguard went out of business in 1977.
Afterward, the design was sold to Commuter Vehicles, Inc., which produced updated electric vehicles such as the Comuta‑Car and Comuta‑Van from 1979 to 1982. Together, the Citicar and its successors held the record for the most produced electric cars in U.S. history until the rise of modern EVs.
