The bizarre failed electric city car from 1993 that cost as much as a Mercedes C-Class when it launched
Published on Jul 26, 2025 at 2:16 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Jul 21, 2025 at 9:05 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Ever heard of the Hotzenblitz? Probably not, but some folks reckon the failed electric city car was years ahead of its time.
The German-made EV was built by Hotzenblitz-Mobile GmbH & Co. KG.
It spent a couple of years in development before going into production in 1993.
However, due to its high price point and money problems within the company, the Hotzenblitz was short-lived.
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The failed electric city car was launched with a high price point
While EVs have had a surge in popularity over the past few years, with one report finding that as many as one in every four cars sold this year will be an electric vehicle, that wasn’t the case back in the 1990s.
In fact, the Hotzenblitz was somewhat of a trailblazer when it came to electric vehicles.
The electric city car was available as a buggy with zipped doors and a fabric top and came with two seats as well as two ‘emergency seats’ in the form of a padded bench above the trunk drawer.
It was powered by 12kW all-electric powertrain and had a top speed of 62mph (100 km/h).
The Hotzenblitz was designed as a city car and was created with city traffic in mind.
However, the car came with a high price tag and cost around the same as a Mercedes C Class.
Each car was hand-built and came with a starting price of around $39,000, up to $62,000 if you wanted the City model, which came with doors, a hardtop, and four seat rests.
According to reports, Hotzenblistz Mobile CEO Thomas Albiez hoped to one day scale production up to 20,000 units per year.
But that wasn’t how things went.
In 1996, the company went into insolvency, having made just 140 units.
Why some folks think the Hotzenblitz was years ahead of its time
Although the German-made electric city car was doomed to failure, some EVs fans think the car was years ahead of the curve.
“They were too far ahead of their time,” one person wrote on Reddit. “Size of a Smart, variability, perfect for cities and short commutes. But who wanted an electric car in ’93?”
“We really need to have more vehicles like this for city commuting instead of every one commuting solo in an SUV daily,” a second person said.
However, others were quick to point out that eye-watering price point and suggested that that, combined with the carmaker being relatively unknown, meant the poor old Hotzenblitz was only ever going to end one way.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
