Overview
What’s it?
The one factor it’s not, is a automobile. sure, it seems to be like one, having 4 wheels and all, however the Citroen Ami is definitely designated as a quadricycle, neatly sidestepping an entire host of laws wanted to truly be classed as a grown-up automobile. So that you get a tiny 458kg (together with the battery pack) ‘city mobility object’ designed to be a private transport module that replaces issues just like the Tube or a bus experience. And even an eBike or scooter. Mainly the automotive lacking hyperlink. It isn’t huge: properly below a metre and a half extensive (1.4, in actual fact) and fewer than two-and-a-half lengthy, however can seat two in relative consolation. Though not loads of consolation, and it relies on your definition.
Beneath the entrance is a 6kW motor and 5.5kWh battery pack – and no, that’s not a typo – single-speeding the entrance axle and offering a prime pace of lower than 30mph, with a doable 47 miles of vary. The physique itself is product of unpainted/impregnated ‘Blue Ami’ plastic draped over a rudimentary box-section chassis, and if you happen to look intently, you’ll discover that the automobile is definitely symmetrical – the entrance and rear panels are the identical, the aspect glass and doorways and so on all swappable back and forth. That cuts manufacturing prices and makes it low-cost – however extra on that in a second.
What that is, is a automobile designed for essentially the most area of interest of intra-urban commuting, actually throughout cities. Consider it much less as a automobile, and extra of the world’s most intricate umbrella – as a substitute of biking throughout city or risking the vagaries of public transport, you simply totter round in an Ami, preserving your self personally safe and your hair dry.
There’s quite a lot of methods of proudly owning or renting one in France (it’s not been sanctioned for the UK but), and you possibly can truly drive one within the UK with out a driving licence from the age of 16, however the market might be going to finish up within the car-share setting, a bit like a cool Boris bike. It’s, nevertheless, a totally joyful factor to potter round city in. All people loves it, and it generates the type of really feel good not doable even in a supercar. Mainly the Ami is regardless of the reverse of over-compensation is – though just for individuals who commute brief distances the place they very a lot don’t need to drive on quick A-roads or motorways. Primarily as a result of it’s unlawful to take action in a ‘automobile’ so small and gradual…
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