Citroën has released Ami, an electric car available on a subscription service.
Ami is classified as a fully electric quadricycle, so can be used by people as young as 14 years old as it doesn’t require a driving licence.
Ami is billed as an urban mobility solution that is a safer alternative to scooters, bicycles, mopeds and public transport. The car is capable of speeds of up to 28 miles per hour (45 kilometres per hour).
This means that people as young as 14 in France, and 16 in other European countries, will be able to drive the car, granted that they have passed a road safety certificate – a short course offered in some European countries that does not require a test.
Citroën CEO Vincent Cobée said: “If you look at society beyond the car industry, there is an environmental conscience emerging, but it doesn’t mean that mobility should be restricted. Ami is the answer to the societal problem, which is individual, clean, urban mobility.”
The car is 2.4 metres long, 1.4 metres wide and 1.5 metres tall, with a range of up to 43 miles (70 kilometres) on a single charge. It runs on a battery that can be recharged in three hours from a standard electric socket.
This 5.5 kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery is fitted into the flat floor, and can be charged from an electric cable incorporated by the passenger-side door.
According to Leclercq, the Ami vehicle was designed “from the inside out”, prioritising a spacious cabin that can accommodate two people, with a dedicated area on the dashboard for a smartphone to provide navigation and music.
