Image: Citroën
Citroën will begin taking orders for its new electric vehicle from 30 March, with the car first launching in France before going on sale in Spain, Italy, Belgium, Portugal and Germany.
Back in 2019, Citroën introduced the concept of its Ami model – a two-seat electric vehicle (EV) designed for urban mobility.
At the initial announcement, Citroën’s release video claimed that the vehicle would be a fully electric car with zero CO2 emissions, and would be simple enough that it could be used even by those who did not know how to drive.
The company suggested that the Ami could be adaptable to all types of uses, from car sharing to rental.
The Ami was displayed at the Geneva Motor Show in 2019 and, as more details emerged, it was revealed that the vehicle would technically be classed as a quadricycle, meaning that it can be driven by individuals who don’t hold a full driving licence.
This means that the car can be driven by anyone over the age of 14 in France and potentially by anyone over the age of 16 with a provisional licence in the rest of Europe.
Image: Citroën
Bringing it to market
According to Reuters, the two-seater car will go on sale parts of Europe by June. The French car-maker has priced the vehicle at €6,900 to buy outright and it will primarily be sold online.
Citroën is also offering customers the option to rent the car long term, at a cost of €19.99 per month after an initial payment of €2,644. Both prices include VAT.
The company is taking orders for the vehicle from 30 March in France, before extending sales to Spain, Italy, Belgium, Portugal and Germany. There’s no word yet on whether this product will be available to Irish customers.
The vehicle runs on a 5.5kWh lithium-ion battery, which is housed under the floor of the vehicle. With this battery, the car can run for 70 kilometres after a three-hour charge, achieving a top speed of 45km/h.
Additionally, it will be possible to charge the car with a standard plug socket, rather than the charging ports that larger EVs rely on. Citroën also said that the glass-roofed vehicle will be internally heated and has some “clever” storage areas.
