Say hello to your new little friend
The Citroen Ami will add a little fun to the everyday commute, as Carmel Stewart discovered
If you are looking for a new French friend which will turn heads and add a spark to your life the Citroen Ami could be the one.
Aesthetically, something of a push-me-pull-you, it is an all-electric left-hand drive vehicle, which looks the same from the front and the back and has doors which are also exactly the same with one hinged at the front and one at the back – rear hinged on the driver’s side, front hinged for the passenger. But, despite being totally enclosed in a solid body, the Ami is not classed as a car. Officially, it is a quadricycle – basically, a covered-in very classy two-seater quadbike with a steering wheel.
In France it can be driven/ ridden by anyone over the age of 14 without the necessity of a driving licence. In the UK that is unlikely to be the case but over the age of 50 will do for me.
They are very popular in Europe, especially in France. So far, not everyone has bought their Ami outright – quite a few lease them or take out long term rental agreements. They carry a price tag in Europe of 6,000 euros – just over £5,000 in the UK – so will not over-exert the wallet.
All are grey/blue in colour to which the vehicle tested added a cheerful Miami Orange trim – five others are available.
The two seats are set sideby-side and the interior is light and airy with large side windows and windscreen as well as a standard fit panoramic roof.
Needless to say, load lugging is not the Ami’s forte but think cabin baggage for two and you’ll get the picture – briefcase, handbag, a takeaway and a few beers will present no problems.
It’ll power up in just three hours from a 220v socket and will keep you on the road for about 43 miles before a topup is needed. Given that the average round trip to work is 23 miles that range will be enough for most us. If you make this a second car, alongside the new Citroen eC4 which has a wall box included in the price, your charging needs are all taken care of.
At 2.41m long, 1.39m wide and 1.52m high, parking is not an issue. If off-street parking is available, two might cuddle up on the drive quite successfully.
On the move it is simplicity itself. Turn the key, gentle acceleration and off you go in total silence. As well as being electric it is also fully automatic, so it really is a painless, emission free experience.
On my short test drive, it proved agile, responsive and great fun. It was also surprisingly stable. Top speed is 28mph which is about as much as most of us can hope for on our regular commute and, being all electric, parking is free in some areas
It was not designed with the UK in mind but Citroen UK is very keen to get it over here and to that end has set up a website for us Brits to register an interest – so far 6,000 have done so. Actually, make that 6,001.