Cubic forms for the Citroën Ami electric microcar, on sale in Italy from late spring. Designed for the city, it has two seats, 70 kilometres of range, and will be available to buy or hire. And you can drive it from the age of 14.
Unlike in the past, when a car had to meet a range of different needs, today the automotive world — aided by sustainable and shared mobility — is specialising in the creation of dedicated products. Such is the case with the new Citroën Ami, the production version of the concept unveiled last year at the Geneva Motor Show. A true electric microcar, drivable from the age of 14, provided the driver has obtained the Cigc (the certificate of fitness to drive mopeds).
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Alternative and decidedly original, the small French electric car seems to have neither a front nor a back. Boxy, with side A and side B almost identical, the only distinguishing feature is the light clusters. Just 2.4 metres long and 1.39 metres wide, extremely light (weighing only 420 kilograms), the Ami is clearly designed for urban mobility. But its driving versatility is another element focused entirely on city mobility: the French electric car's turning diameter is just 7 metres. Inside, where the cabin is deliberately very simple, there is enough space for two people. The Citroën Ami uses a lithium-ion battery pack with a capacity of 5.5 kWh, which gives it an electric range of 70 kilometres.
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Charging takes just 3 hours from a perfectly ordinary 220-volt domestic socket. But the Ami also supports charging from standard public charging points or from systems such as wall boxes which, depending on the technology, can reduce charging times even further. As the car is also aimed at a very young clientele, the top speed is limited to 45 km/h.
Inside there is enough space for two people. And if one might reasonably wonder why the two doors open in opposite directions to each other, the answer is readily at hand: this allows the Ami's doors to be fitted on either the right or left side interchangeably. As for life on board, there are no standout features inside the French car. To call it minimalist would be an understatement. In the centre of the dashboard there is a dock station for positioning a smartphone. This confirms the French car's aspirations in the sharing arena.
The Citroën Ami will not only be sold to private buyers — for whom dedicated hire packages are also planned — but is also intended for car sharing. In France the sale price of the Ami is 6,000 euros, inclusive of government incentives; alternatively, the small French electric car can be hired from 19.99 euros per month. For Italy there are no details as yet; sales to the public and the sharing service (available via the Free2move app) are expected to launch in late spring.