Mon Ami
One of the criticisms of EVs is that they are too expensive or over engineered. Well, the Citroen Ami is not. In fact, the Ami is not even a car. It is a quadricycle. This means a 16-year-old with a full AM moped licence can drive it on UK roads.
For my various blogs I’ve driven everything from a quarter of a million-pound Aston Martin Superleggera to the all-electric Porsche Taycan Turbo, but it is the Ami that got most attention.
Stop and stare
Whenever I drove it, I couldn’t help smiling. Everyone, from other drivers to Uber Eats delivery guys to schoolgirls, stopped, stared, smiled, took selfies, and waved. This funny looking electric vehicle is certainly a head-turner.
It did remind me of the first electric car I had some twenty years ago - the Ford Think! car which I have also blogged about. It also reminded me of the car I had at university which was an equally minimalist Citroen Dyane 4.
Styling
The Ami is certainly stylish. The back looks like the front and the front looks like the back. The little wheels with their red plastic covers stand out. The bodywork feels like polyurethane and quite like the bodywork on the Think! car I had some twenty years ago. The driver door opens backwards and the passenger door opens forward. On the inside of the doors there are little ropes to pull which opens the door. Some of the styling is 2CVesq especially the flip-up side windows which I just loved. You can’t help driving with your elbow out of the window.
Size
The Ami is small. It is 2.41m and 1.39m wide. I was tempted to drive to the local supermarket to see if it fitted in the trolly bays, but I didn’t. You could probably park it at the side of the road head-on as it is so small. It rides on small 14in steel wheels with coloured funky wheel trims.
Inside
The inside is minimalist. It is a two-seater. It also has a small space on the passenger side for a budget airline-size suitcase. It works as I picked up my son with his case after he returned from Milan where he saw lots of these cars. Oh, it is left-hand drive only but that wasn’t really a problem as it is so small, and the visibility is good. The plastic type seats were comfortable, and the driver seat can be adjusted. It is also quite basic inside as you can still see how the metal body structure is welded but I liked that. There is not much kit inside. There is a small electronic display and some buttons, but it does have a heater which seemed to work and hazard warning lights. It has a single windscreen wiper and non-self cancelling indicators.
Safety
The Ami has no airbag in the steering wheel but does have a red circular button which is the horn. It has no ABS nor crumple zones and probably would not do well in a EuroNCAP crash test but then again it is not a car. I guess compared to a moped it is probably safe.
Driving
This Ami is not at all powerful. It comes with just 8hp coming from the 5.5kWh electric motor. The top speed is advertised as 28mph and even going downhill flat out I only managed 29mph. This is fine in full urban areas or intense residential areas where all roads are 30 or 20mph. However, some semi-urban roads have 50 or 60mph limits where this vehicle is just too slow. I did manage to drive into a rural area as I knew a slow road that I use for cycling. Again, it got lots of attention from walkers, cyclists, and horse riders.
Charging
The range is about 46 miles which is more than adequate around town. I also liked the way that the charging cable comes out of a space at the side of the passenger door, and you can close the door over the cable….it still worked.
Verdict
The Ami is a great little urban vehicle, but you really would need to live or work in the city to benefit from it. The Ami Cargo with just one seat might be a great option for zero-tailpipe emission local deliveries for small business such as a florist. It would also be a great way to advertise your business as these vehicles do get noticed.
The all-electric Citroen Ami and Ami Cargo van is available to order exclusively online via their dedicated Ami digital platform. With a price tag of £7,695, the compact two-seat electric car is the UK’s cheapest ‘car’.
The Ami is also available on PCP finance as well as a cash purchase where a deposit of £2,369.45 will mean a monthly payment of only £19.99 is required.
So, despite being cheap it is probably not cheap as chips. But for a small business or urban driver who want attention, you can’t beat the Ami. I really enjoyed it. Try it.