If you live and work in a big city, driving a big car through congested streets will hardly get you to your destination in a relaxed manner. We’ve recently seen a number of compact electric vehicles offered as more suitable alternatives, with the latest coming from the UK’s first electric car company.

Ark Zero follows in the footsteps of electric quad bikes, such as the Microlino, Silence S04, Birò and, of course, the Renault Twizy. However, the London startup behind this vehicle wants to set up “setting a new standard as the most affordable electric vehicle in the country«.

The boxy little car costs £5,995 (about $7,650, although currently only available in the UK) and, because of electricity, is exempt from Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and Congestion fees.

The aluminum monocoque bodywork «forms a solid protective structure around you, offering greater resilience in case of impact“, while helping to maintain a total weight of 489 kg. The microcar measures 2.5m long, 1.2m wide and 1.625m high, which means the parking lot is a quarter the size of a standard UK parking lot. .

Of course, we are not talking about an electric hypercar, but it has a 2.2 kW motor that reaches a maximum speed of 45 km/h and an 80 Ah lithium-ion battery that offers a range per charge according to a WMTC cycle of 80 km. This combination won’t take you beyond the city limits, but can meet urban travel requirements.

The driver sits in the front with the passenger in the back, and there seems to be enough room inside even for a companion dog. It has a turning radius of 8.5m and features MacPherson strut suspension to help smooth out bumps in the road.

It features one-button keyless ignition, hill start assist, and a rear view camera. Energy-efficient LED lighting aids visibility day or night, the vehicle has Bluetooth connectivity for streaming music to the internal audio system from a smartphone (with an integrated USB charging port for charging devices), and the interior is finished in vegan leather.

The Ark Zero is now being sold to licensed AM type (moped) drivers in the UK, with production and delivery expected to take 14-16 weeks. The company’s second model is being readied for launch later this year, with self-driving technology joining the fleet from 2024, although no further details are available at this time.

Further information: www.arkmotors.co.id