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2587°
Posted 17 September 2023
Citroen Ami electric vehicle on the road
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Newbold
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About this deal
WHAT IS IT?
The one thing it’s not, is a car. Yes, it looks like one, having four wheels and all, but the Citroen Ami is actually designated as a quadricycle, neatly sidestepping a whole host of regulations needed to be classed as a grown-up vehicle.
So you get a tiny 458kg (including the battery pack) ‘urban mobility object’ designed to be a personal transport module that replaces things like the Tube or a bus ride. Or even an eBike or scooter. Basically the automotive missing link.
IT LOOKS TINY!
It is not big, no: well under a metre and a half wide (1.4, in fact) and less than two-and-a-half long, but can seat two in relative comfort. Although not a lot of comfort, and it depends on your definition.
Under the front is an 8bhp motor and 5.5kWh battery pack - and no, those aren’t typos - single-speeding the front axle and providing a top speed of 28mph. Or 29mph if you’re going downhill. Zero to Vmax takes 10 seconds, depending on how heavy you are. Maximum range amounts to 47 miles.
The body itself is made of unpainted/impregnated ‘Blue Ami’ plastic draped over a rudimentary box-section chassis, and if you look closely, you’ll notice the front and rear panels are the same. Meanwhile the side glass and doors (one passenger side opens normally, the driver’s is rear-hinged) are all swappable from side to side. That cuts production costs and makes it cheap. But more on that in a moment.
COME ON THEN, PUT ME IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT…
It’s a completely joyful thing to potter around town in. Everybody loves it, and it generates the kind of feel good not possible even in a supercar. Basically the Ami is whatever the opposite of over-compensation is, albeit only for people who commute short distances. And where they very much don’t have to drive on fast A-roads or motorways. Mainly because it’s illegal in a ‘car’ this small and slow...
I’M STILL STRUGGLING TO SEE WHO THIS IS FOR.
What this is, is a vehicle designed for the most niche of intra-urban commuting, literally across cities. Think of it less as a car, and more of the world’s most complicated umbrella: instead of biking across town or risking the vagaries of public transport, you just totter around in an Ami, keeping yourself secure and your hair dry.
There’s also now an ambitiously-named Cargo version of the Ami, which ditches the passenger seat in favour of extra space for boxes and goods, making it a Deliveroo-slash-Amazon-warehouse chariot… of sorts. We’ve got a separate review on it here.
Consider too that you can legally drive one of these in the UK from the age of 16 as well, as long as you’ve got a moped licence.
EH? WHAT TEENAGER WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD THIS?
Well now, prices start from £7,695, undercutting the next cheapest vehicle you can buy in the UK - that’d be the Kia Picanto, since you ask - by almost six grand. Timely reminder that this is not a car…
More relevant is the finance: Citroen can get you into an Ami for £99 a month with the right deposit. The thinking here is that the Ami will appeal to a younger generation whose means are limited by cash and ends are limited by lifestyle.
CRIKEY. DOES IT HAVE RIVALS?
Not in the traditional sense. Perhaps the Renault Twizy, but you can’t get those here now. The Ami is in a segment of one, which means its competition extends to bicycles and the act of walking. And maybe those hoverboard things that were all the rage a few Christmases ago.
WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
“It’s not fun to drive, but it is fun to use. In a city, at least. There’s a joy in its simplicity...”
The Ami is a rubbish car, if you could call it one. But it’s an entirely loveable object. It’s not fun to drive, but it is fun to use. In a city, at least. There’s a joy in its simplicity; in the way that it’s been designed; in the way that Citroen is embracing quirkiness. It’s not sophisticated or ground-breaking, but it is fun and interesting, and if it’s convinced a few Londoners to commute in one rather than mostly idling a big SUV, then that’s a good thing.
It’s also a good deal safer than a e-scooter or bike given the UK’s variable driving standards, not to mention weather. Would we buy one? Probably not. Rental? If there was somewhere convenient to charge, possibly. But for everyone else, a car-share, pay-as-you-go Ami experience would cover most bases.
Info added by
Buying
Help & Information
The one thing it’s not, is a car. Yes, it looks like one, having four wheels and all, but the Citroen Ami is actually designated as a quadricycle, neatly sidestepping a whole host of regulations needed to be classed as a grown-up vehicle.
So you get a tiny 458kg (including the battery pack) ‘urban mobility object’ designed to be a personal transport module that replaces things like the Tube or a bus ride. Or even an eBike or scooter. Basically the automotive missing link.
- AMI AMI £7,695 OTR
- MY AMI COLOUR (3) £8,095 (OTR)
- MY AMI POP £8,495 (OTR)
- MY AMI TONIC £8,695 (OTR)
- MY AMI CARGO £7,995 (OTR)
IT LOOKS TINY!
It is not big, no: well under a metre and a half wide (1.4, in fact) and less than two-and-a-half long, but can seat two in relative comfort. Although not a lot of comfort, and it depends on your definition.
Under the front is an 8bhp motor and 5.5kWh battery pack - and no, those aren’t typos - single-speeding the front axle and providing a top speed of 28mph. Or 29mph if you’re going downhill. Zero to Vmax takes 10 seconds, depending on how heavy you are. Maximum range amounts to 47 miles.
The body itself is made of unpainted/impregnated ‘Blue Ami’ plastic draped over a rudimentary box-section chassis, and if you look closely, you’ll notice the front and rear panels are the same. Meanwhile the side glass and doors (one passenger side opens normally, the driver’s is rear-hinged) are all swappable from side to side. That cuts production costs and makes it cheap. But more on that in a moment.
COME ON THEN, PUT ME IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT…
It’s a completely joyful thing to potter around town in. Everybody loves it, and it generates the kind of feel good not possible even in a supercar. Basically the Ami is whatever the opposite of over-compensation is, albeit only for people who commute short distances. And where they very much don’t have to drive on fast A-roads or motorways. Mainly because it’s illegal in a ‘car’ this small and slow...
I’M STILL STRUGGLING TO SEE WHO THIS IS FOR.
What this is, is a vehicle designed for the most niche of intra-urban commuting, literally across cities. Think of it less as a car, and more of the world’s most complicated umbrella: instead of biking across town or risking the vagaries of public transport, you just totter around in an Ami, keeping yourself secure and your hair dry.
There’s also now an ambitiously-named Cargo version of the Ami, which ditches the passenger seat in favour of extra space for boxes and goods, making it a Deliveroo-slash-Amazon-warehouse chariot… of sorts. We’ve got a separate review on it here.
Consider too that you can legally drive one of these in the UK from the age of 16 as well, as long as you’ve got a moped licence.
EH? WHAT TEENAGER WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD THIS?
Well now, prices start from £7,695, undercutting the next cheapest vehicle you can buy in the UK - that’d be the Kia Picanto, since you ask - by almost six grand. Timely reminder that this is not a car…
More relevant is the finance: Citroen can get you into an Ami for £99 a month with the right deposit. The thinking here is that the Ami will appeal to a younger generation whose means are limited by cash and ends are limited by lifestyle.
CRIKEY. DOES IT HAVE RIVALS?
Not in the traditional sense. Perhaps the Renault Twizy, but you can’t get those here now. The Ami is in a segment of one, which means its competition extends to bicycles and the act of walking. And maybe those hoverboard things that were all the rage a few Christmases ago.
WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
“It’s not fun to drive, but it is fun to use. In a city, at least. There’s a joy in its simplicity...”
The Ami is a rubbish car, if you could call it one. But it’s an entirely loveable object. It’s not fun to drive, but it is fun to use. In a city, at least. There’s a joy in its simplicity; in the way that it’s been designed; in the way that Citroen is embracing quirkiness. It’s not sophisticated or ground-breaking, but it is fun and interesting, and if it’s convinced a few Londoners to commute in one rather than mostly idling a big SUV, then that’s a good thing.
It’s also a good deal safer than a e-scooter or bike given the UK’s variable driving standards, not to mention weather. Would we buy one? Probably not. Rental? If there was somewhere convenient to charge, possibly. But for everyone else, a car-share, pay-as-you-go Ami experience would cover most bases.
Info added by
Buying
- 100% online purchase
- Online finance option available for eligible customers
- 14 days to change your mind
- An ami expert team for added customer service
- The possibility of home delivery (restrictions apply)
Help & Information
More details at Community Updates
Edited by a community support team member, 4 minutes ago
923 Comments
sorted byDownsides? Insurance isn’t as cheap as I’d hoped and unfortunately it gets far too much attention - people pointing, stopping and smiling, asking what it is, etc. Most roads are slow 30mph queues or 20mph limits away. I wish it did 35mph, but it’s rarely an issue.
Happy to answer any questions!
We're out in the sticks so the top speed won't work for me but I do adore it so am very jealous. Instead we ditched our 2nd car (haven't see a bus around here for 5yrs+) for an electric moped and naturally there's compromises but I've had motorbikes before so am fine with the exposure. It's about 3.5kw usable battery, does 40/45 miles (winter/summer) and tops out at 50mph
In my case, I live in a 40mph limit location with tons of hills and it is therefore limited. Change your way of thinking to not always being in a hurry and it's fine.
I also have a real car for when I'm in a hurry or need to transport 3 peeps.
The main reason I bought it was for fun and frugality. It just looked like tons of fun when I was researching it last year. It was a couple of thousand initial payment and then under £50 per month, and cheap enough to fully pay off within the PCP time. I'm waiting to get a read on the resale values to determine whether that's a wise move or not first. Right now, it appears to be worthwhile paying off.
With a regular electricity tariff, it costs around 1/3 the cost of petrol for commuting (I get around 6 miles per kWh of electricity 39p) and I could bring this down significantly further by getting an Octopus night-time charging tariff (around 7.5p). (edited)
Would be very reluctant to part with £8000 cash for one as I fear the depreciation will be monumental
Edit- I have just seen they do a lease - but it’s £100pm. At that price a normal used car would likely be better (edited)
Size comparison with a Smart car
Had it since April and used for travelling to and from work, trips to the supermarket etc.
No issues at all, attracts a lot of attention and laughs.
Done nearly 900 miles so far in casual use, for a town car it is excellent other than that forget it.
No suspension to speak off, so you will feel every pothole (and my word there are so many), no power steering so the turning circle of a small bus and no rear view mirror. Passenger seat is fixed in place and feels like an old style plastic school chair.
But, it charges from a standard three pin socket (with adaptor lead £25 or so), you can park it anywhere even straight in between two cars, no emissions, does hit 28mph quickly - you should see the look on the boy racers when you "burn them off" at the lights for 10 seconds.
We use it as our third car - wife is just going off to work in it now 46/48 miles on a full charge but in real use 35/40 depending on how many hills you have.
If you have the money it is worth thinking about.
hotukdeals.com/dis…167
15 minute cities
I'm surprised Dyson missed out on this one...XD
Sadly, this stuff isn't even new - these have been on sale for decades: auto.howstuffworks.com/g-w…htm
Batteries last 2 to 3 yrs.
The battery is lithium, not lead like a G Wiz. Your comment says more about you than the Ami
Genuinely, when these things become mainstream, I'd be onboard.
Until that day though, I'm not willing to be a rolling freakshow.
The reality is you'd be driving this thing on potholed roads in pouring rain and the cold, feeling vulnerable around lorries and being cut up everyone. You'd park up and the thing stands out so much, you'd end up with it nicked, vandalised or spray painted.
The Citroen Oli is the real cool car, but it's a concept car and if Citroen made it, it won't look as good and it will fall apart. I wish they would make it to production but they won't, it would end up a watered down disaster car.
citroen.co.uk/abo…tml
Damn, even commuting. Average speed for my Mrs was 10-12mph on her 6 mile commute at 5pm. Don't think she ever got about 20mph.
A death trap on wheels, then it can tip over around corners, plastic panels mean easily scratched and marked and plastic can crack/break easily... and then discoloration from the sun also.
And did I mention it looks like an oversized bin on wheels... yep! (edited)
On the steepest hills, yes there is a performance hit. The only ones I can think of in north London that are an issue for me are Muswell Hill and Highgate West Hill (but that’s a 20 anyway).
I tested the handling very extensively (I have plenty of track experience and an advanced driving qualification, do not try this at home lol) and I think it’s basically impossible under normal road without being an idiot to flip it. Downhill on the Monaco Grand Prix hairpin not withstanding!
I initially wanted this car, but they decided not to make a right-hand drive version, so no.
There are much better looking small cars out there. This one for example can actually fit 4 people!
You can pick up a used Nissan Leaf or Renault Zoe for much less, quite a few examples on Autotrader. 28mph.. Maybe if you live in Wales this could work
Oh, that is what has happened with SUVs over the past two decades.
If the tank drivers were locked away on a motorway, I wouldn't mind so much. It's having to share towns with them as a pedestrian which scares me!