Silence S04

The Spanish electric scooter manufacturer is launching an affordable microcar. You can drive it from the age of 15 and don’t have to worry about batteries.

The almost pocket-sized Silence S04 electric car which you could take to the office (as Jeremy Clarkson did with the Peel P50) is even 13 cm shorter (2.28m) and 10 cm narrower (1.29) than the Citroën Ami, yet at 159 cm tall it still offers space for two passengers with hand luggage which could be stowed in the 247-liter rear compartment.

The S04 has a top speed of 85 km/h for a distance of 149 kilometers. That’s exactly how long the pair of replaceable 11.2 kWh batteries will last according to the WMTC world standard. These are the same kits that the manufacturer uses for scooters. They take about 6 hours to charge from a household outlet. The batteries weigh 82 kg and the whole car weighs just 450 kg.

Although the interior with steering wheel and pedals looks austere, it still offers a 7-inch screen, central locking, electric parking brake and electric windows and mirrors. Disc brakes are standard, but you have to pay extra for ABS and air conditioning.

The more powerful L7e version with a 14kW electric motor will be complemented by a weaker L6e derivative with a 6kW electric motor and a top speed of 45km/h, meaning that 15-year-old drivers will be able to get behind the wheel in selected markets.

The price of the S04 without batteries is CZK 156,000 ($7,190). There is also a monthly fee for the use of battery swapping stations. The car with batteries costs CZK 241,000 ($11,100).