Frequently Asked Questions
Below we’ve put together the most important information regarding L City Cars.
We ask for your understanding that technical details may still be subject to change.
General Questions
How is L CITY involved when it comes to climate protection?
L City
What is L CITY
L CITY is an electric utility vehicle with a multifunctional platform.
The L CITY EV is a business-friendly transportation unit with a multifunctional usage. Offering two to six doors, two to eight seats and a big cargo area that offers plenty of space, coming in different sizes, it is the best EV in class on the market. The electric drive system is limited to 80 km/h due to its main purpose of urban functionality. Optional trailer integrated system allows several L CITY EV to be controlled by a single driver.
The L CITY EV has a WLTP range of 265 km. The integrated inboard charging system allows you to charge your battery over night with charge time of 6 – 8 hours to full – capacity. Here at L CITY, we do not recommend fast charging. In case that you need more range, we have a battery swap system, for users with large car fleets. You can charge the battery at home, office, or any parking area with standard 220V electricity network via a normal household plug. We do, however, recommend the installation of a wallbox charger. You can find more information about the charging system under the heading “Charging“.
How can I preorder L CITY?
L CITY EV’s are built by order. For preordering, please head to the Order section. There you will have to fill the order form. In the end, to finalize your order, you will need to make a 2000€ deposit. We accept preorders for 2022.
Will a right-hand drive version be offered?
L CITY EV’s are built on a modular platform allowing right-hand drive version and autonomous driving in the future.
What is the eCall function of the L CITY?
Due to the introduction of automatic emergency call (eCall), from 2018, every new vehicle in the EU must have an internet connection via a built-in SIM card, in accordance with ECE homologation. In the unfortunate event of a traffic incident, an emergency call is made automatically. The aim of introducing eCall is to significantly increase the chances of survival for seriously injured vehicle passengers.
L CITY is always connected and in addition provides further digital services and functions via the L CITY app using this internet connection. The protection of your data is a key concern for us!
5) What transmisison layout does the L CITY have?
The L CITY EV comes with a rear-wheel-drive system as standard, and an optional four-wheel drive system is available.
Can I drive the L CITY off-road? What is the ground clearance?
The L CITY EV’s are designed for urban use only. Off-road use is not recommended. Ground clearance is between 200 and 270 millimeters, enabling the vehicle to master uneven road surfaces.
Eco Friendly
What are carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and what consequences do they have for climate change?
Heat radiation that is beamed from the Sun to the Earth is mostly absorbed by the Earth’s surface. The rest of this heat is then radiated back from the Earth. Greenhouse gases, such as CO₂, stop the heat radiated by the Earth from being let out. This natural process is called a Greenhouse Effect.
CO₂ is emitted through human activity, for example through planes, motor vehicles, manufacturing or burning fossil fuels to produce energy.
The man-made increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere makes the natural greenhouse effect worse, causing global warming. CO₂ plays a significant role as it makes up most of the greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans.
What does CO2 offsetting mean?
CO₂-offsetting is an instrument to help protect the global climate: a given amount of CO₂-emissions emitted at one place in the world is prevented at another place, but in the end, it is irrelevant for the planet’s atmosphere. After mitigating and reducing CO₂-emissions, CO₂-offsets are an effective measure to counteract global warming.
How do CO2 offsets work?
CO₂-offsets work by upgrading and expanding renewable energies and energy-efficient technologies in developing countries to reduce or prevent the emission of gases that affect the climate.
Individuals or businesses seeking to offset their emissions identify and record them, before obtaining ‘certified emission reduction’ (CER) certificates, by making an offset payment to carbon offset providers, climate protection projects or carbon credit dealers. One certificate represents a specific, quantifiable amount (usually one ton) of CO₂ that is saved somewhere. The advantage to this principle is that emissions are saved in the Global South – where it is most economic to do so. There must be safeguards to check that emissions are reduced on a permanent basis and that the projects are only able to be brought to fruition through the additional funding received through the offset mechanism. That is, if those units or certificates weren’t sold, the projects would be unprofitable and therefore infeasible. The term used in the industry for this core criterion is the ‘additionality’ of the emission reductions.
What certifications and standards for climate protection projects are there?
Various standards are used to certify climate protection projects. They differ in the demands they place on the quality and environmental impact of the project and in local, social aspects. To register a climate protection project for certification, there must be scientific evidence of the project preventing CO₂-emissions. Independent bodies examine and certify this preventative effect.
There are further criteria relating to duration and social impact that must be fulfilled on top of those for climate protection benefits. High-quality climate protection projects are characterized by having positive effects for the local population of a project region.
Examples of this can include access to clean energy or improvements in household income or health. The most common certification standards are the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), Gold Standard and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the latter of which was developed by the United Nations (UN). The Gold Standard is seen worldwide as the most rigorous certification standard in regard to the requirements placed on what a project does. Gold Standard climate protection projects must ensure sustainable development in the project countries on top of additionality. The CDM, on the other hand, puts special emphasis on the quality and transparency of processes when registering and realizing a climate protection project. The quality of what the project does and how it is organized is usually maximized in conjunction with the Gold Standard.
How is L CITY EV involved when it comes to climate protection?
In 2020 we started developing our strategy to offset emissions originating from all stages of the L CITY manufacturing process. We are currently evaluating the emissions from our office activity, our production and assembly lines, and those produced from our business travels and logistics. We are identifying and recording these emissions systematically. Once finished collecting data, we will decide on the projects for offsetting about climate protection. We will select the projects that satisfy our exigence for quality, standards and generate benefits for the local population. It is important for our activity to not harm the community. CO₂-offsets are already included in the L CITY production price calculation.
Innovations
Can I use the L CITY EV to provide electricity for my household?
The L CITY EV has a battery capacity of 62.2 kWh. Assuming a household consumption of 11 kWh per day, there will be enough power for a household for about 5 days. This functionality is not yet available and is due for a future integration.
Can the L CITY supply electricity for work outdoors?
Yes, technologically speaking, the L CITY EV is capable of powering work tools and equipment. An invertor could be installed onboard to convert the 144V to 220V with a power of up to 3 kWh.
Interior & Exterior
Is the final product different than the prototype?
Yes, they are different. In terms of design, construction and features, our prototypes are close to the final product. During preparation for series production, the vehicle is being optimized on various levels. Both the interior and the exterior of the L CITY EV have a significant design upgrade in quality.
What colors will be available?
Due to the commercial utility of L CITY, we offer it in the following basic colors: White, Blue, Green, Yellow, Red.
For orders of 50+ vehicles additional color options are possible.
About the Battery
General
Why did we choose a battery capacity of 62.2 kWh?
We have tested various battery sizes and opted for a 62.2 kWh battery to be able to cover daily needs for inside city transportation and last mile delivery. This size is perfect for one full day use cycle. A battery with a larger capacity would increase the weight and is not necessary for urban use.
Is it possible to install a battery smaller than 62.2 kWh? Will you offer a smaller battery?
The L CITY EV will be offered only with a 62.2 kWh battery pack. Size and capacity wise, the battery pack has been engineered to be optimal, given the utility of the vehicle.
Will it be possible to integrate a range extender?
No, as of now a range extender would require the use of fossil fuels. Our goal is to develop a future-oriented mobility concept for inside city transportation that is independent from fossil fuels. We are however and therefore open to technologies that contribute to this objective.
Material
What is the structure of the L CITY battery?
We have developed in-house a liquid-temperature-controlled lithium-ion battery pack especially for our L CITY EV. Our battery consists of 270 cells. We have tested different technologies for lithium-ion batteries and, the various possible cell formats and opted for the prismatic cell shape. Among other advantages it offers very good safety and thermal characteristics. We are using a cell manufacturer with a perfect reputation and more than 10 years’ experience on the market. In case of a problem, under warranty, we will take your battery pack, change the defective cells and put it back in your vehicle.
How do you plan to recycle the L CITY EV battery pack?
We have developed in-house the L CITY EV battery system with a focus on battery pack recycling. We are pursuing the goal of giving our batteries a second life cycle. Through L CITY EV buy back system we can easily change your battery with a new one. We will use the old battery cells to build energy storage systems. This procedure allows for a battery not only to be recycled, but also to use old cells with nearly 70 % capacity after 10 years life and 3000 full cycles in building new energy storages. Our goal is not to waste any single battery cell to protect the environment and our planet. Car manufacturers, including L CITY Automotive are legally obliged to accept back batteries and recycle them in a proper manner. The prismatic cells and our in-house architecture of the battery pack give us a huge advantage for our recycling policy giving a second life to your battery cells. Given that we want to make our entire company as climate and eco-friendly as possible, we take this issue very seriously and will therefore be looking for any new solution to be as environmentally and economically sensible as possible.
Charging
How to charge L CITY?
There are two different ways for you to charge your L CITY EV using the following plug types:
- Via a Type 2 plug: found at all standard charging stations for a charge of up to 10 kW (AC)
- Via a household socket: for a charge of up to 3,3 kW (AC).
What are the L CITY EV charging times?
Our strategy is to have the L CITY EV used during the day and charged after working hours, over night. In this case we have two different charging times depending on the method of charging. Depending on the method chosen to use, charging time is*:
- From a household socket full charging takes up to 20 hours.
- From a standard charging station charging takes between 6 and 8 hours for a full charge.
*depending on the current state of the network.
Can I charge my L CITY using any household power socket?
Yes! Simply use the appropriate charging adapter to charge the L CITY EV with any household power socket. However, we recommend you install a standard wallbox charging station for your car. This charging station adapts to the charging capacity of your house/office electrical system and optimizes maximum load current.
Can I also charge my L CITY with a Type 1 (SAE1772) plug?
The L CITY EV system supports the Type 2 (EN 62196) plug.
Production
Service
How is the L CITY going to be serviced?
Thanks to our motorsport experience, we managed to build a durable and safe electric vehicle, with an easy and simple maintenance. During the first 100 000 km there shouldn’t be any problems, regarding the performance and the build of L CITY.
With access to workshop information, we are going to establish a vast network of independent well-known European garages. They will be responsible for any repairs involving high-voltage systems or body parts. We will feed our workshops with proper and up to date service and repair information. Using this network will allow you to keep your warranty conditions up to date. As a result, there will be an extensive network of partners to offer you repairs and service at an affordable price.
Where and when can I get spare parts?
Local support with spare parts will be available through our local dealers or directly ordered from L CITY web platform. We develop our own PIS( Parts Information System) which will allow you to connect with your L CITY EV serial production code & password for full information of your EV. Starting from repair information and technical description you will be able to understand more about your EV. With online parts catalogues you or our workshop partner will be able to access and order the needed parts directly from the L CITY Automotive warehouse in Germany.
Production
Where will the L CITY EV be produced?
Production, thanks to the Type Approval, can be done in the R&D center of SIN CARS in Bulgaria, and the later on assembly will be done in Germany near Munich. Our work with SIN CARS lets us turn our vision of a forward-looking and climate-friendly mobility into reality.
When is the start of production planned?
Production has already began. We are currently using the R&D center of SIN CARS in Bulgaria, with manufacturing capacity of 1000 units per year. In 2023 we plan to open the assembly point in Germany.
How many cars will you produce?
With the start of production in 2022 we plan a ramp-up. All L CITY EV’s is produced by order, so quantities of units per year will depend on the market situation. Currently our manufacturing capacity is of 1000 vehicles per year. In 2023 we plan to complete the project of the new manufacturing facility and to have it operational by 2024. Its capacity will be 100 000 units. Opening assembly points throughout Europe and UK first, later in USA, will allow to multiply the number of produced units.
When will the vehicle homologation take place?
The N1 homologation for small series is already complete. We did it in a collaboration with TÜV SÜD. It took us 18 months to finish it. Due to the strictness of the tests and the evaluation, and thanks the valuable expertise of the specialists at TÜV SÜD, we managed to improve many of the aspects of the vehicle and now we have a unique, law-compliant and safe, market-ready L CITY EV.
What is he current development of the L CITY EV?
L CITY is already in production. Order your L CITY now. Reserve it and we guarantee you will pay the same price as if you pay in full now.
Ordering
How do I preorder the L CITY EV?
Click on the Order link and follow the instructions.
What happens after I sign the purchase contract?
Your preorder will be complete once you make your deposit of 2000 euros. Then before the start of manufacturing of your vehicle, you will be asked to confirm with an addition of up 50% of the remaining amount. The final installment you will pay before receiving you new L CITY EV.
Price
The ready to drive base L CITY EV UTILITY costs 49 900 € without VAT at launch of manufacturing (without a loading compartment). The price includes all components and the battery pack of 62.2 Kw/h (with 10 years/250 000 km warranty) , which sold separately costs around 20 000€. For the Koffer configuration, the price tag of the L CITY is 54 900€. For the Pickup version, the price tag is 52 900€. Regarding changes of the market price of the materials and components, sale prices after end of 2022 can be subject to change. If you preorder now, we guarantee you will pay this price, even if you purchase the vehicle later.
Delivery and delivery time
Delivery time is 6 months after you place the order and we receive down payment. During this period your L CITY EV will be virtually assembled and all parts and components sent to production. After final assembly is planned it will take a week to finish your L CITY EV.
We will take care of the delivery upon extra payment with the best car transportation companies in Europe. If you want to organize the collecting on your own, this option is also available.
Payment and payment terms
Your preorder will be complete once you make your deposit of 2000 euros. Then before the start of manufacturing of your vehicle, you will be asked to confirm with an addition of up 50% of the remaining amount. The final installment, you will pay before receiving you new L CITY EV. For special orders and requests do not hesitate to contact us via the contact form. For the payment methods, please refer to the Order page.
Does the L CITY EV come with a warranty?
Yes. The car has a complete vehicle warranty of 10 years/250 000km. The chassis has a warranty for 20 years. The loading compartment comes with a 3 year warranty.
You have different questions?
Send them through our contact form.