Silence S04 micro-EV brings 92-mile range for £16k

Spanish e-mobility company Silence is taking the fight to the Citroën Ami by launching its S04 in the UK, offering a range of 92 miles and batteries that you can remove to charge indoors.

Silence, which is best known for its range of motorcycles, claims the new two-seat four-wheeler provides "low-cost, zero-emissions urban transport" for residents of large cities and short-haul delivery firms. 

Starting at £15,995, the S04 is more than twice the price of the Citroën quadricycle but offers double the range - and it's £5875 less than the most affordable electric car, the Smart EQ Fortwo.

Silence has designed it to be as agile and dynamic as possible to provide a level of driver involvement.

It has one of the smallest turning circles of any vehicle on sale, at 3.5 metres, as well as a low centre of gravity, due to floor-mounted batteries and electric motors housed within the wheels - a first for a road 'car'.

Power comes from two motors, sending 22bhp to the rear wheels for a 0-30mph time of 7.0secs and a top speed of 52mph.

Both removable 5.6kWh batteries give a claimed range of 92 miles and can be fully charged in around two to three hours from a 240V outlet.

It's positioned on a removable ‘trolley’ so that it be extracted for charging - a feature shared with only one other quadricycle, the Estrima Birò, which is advertised in the UK from £11,350.

A battery pre-heater activates in colder temperatures to optimise both range and performance.

The driver can choose how much performance is delivered by selecting one of three driving modes: Eco, City and Sport.

The S04 measures 2280mm long, 1290mm wide and 1570mm tall, making it smaller but slightly taller than the Ami while still offering 184 litres more boot space.