I had such a fun experience recently, and I’m excited to tell you all about it. I love cars and we bought a Renault Zoe EV from Kevin Egan Cars a few years ago. I was quite dubious about electric vehicles, but I fell in love with the Zoe, it’s a pleasure to drive it, and it feels more solid on the road than my Clio. When I saw Kevin Egan Cars post about the Citroën Ami, I really wanted to try it out, and when I took my car in for a valet, they kindly let me have a spin in it. The photo at the top of the blog was taken by Kevin Egan Cars, at the Westlife Mural in Sligo.
I must admit that I did giggle a bit when I saw it. I knew it was going to be small, but I wasn’t quite prepared for how small it actually was. It kind of reminded me of a Little Tykes car, in fact it’s not actually a car, it’s classed as a quadricycle – a vehicle with four wheels.
Photo credit – Kevin Egan Cars
It’s very basic, and everything is kept to a minimum, if you want a vehicle that you can fit the family in and head off around the country, the Ami isn’t for you. But if you want something to get you from A to B, and you live in an urban area, it’s certainly something to consider. It might also be of interest to the people with electric bikes, and I had a blog reader who is a cyclist and they said they’d love the Ami as it would save them getting wet.
It’s not the most comfortable vehicle to be a passenger in, but when it comes to driving it, I loved it! It’s a left hand drive, so that’s something to consider, but you will get used to it. The Ami is a bit slow to take off and the top speed you’ll get is 45km an hour, but it’s great fun to drive. It reminded me of being in a bumper car, it’s cool and quirky, and I loved the panoramic roof. It’s also very easy to park and to turn, no worries about squeezing into a tiny parking space!
Ronan Hunt, Citroën Brand Manager, Kevin Egan Cars, explains:
“We expect to see the Ami for sale in the Irish market in the summer of 2024. What we need to think about with the AMI is the fact that it’s bringing mobility to the masses, in much the same way the CITROEN 2CV did in 1948. When the 2CV was launched, it attracted a fair amount of scorn for its unconventional design, but we must remember that the 2CV helped to change the world. It brought mobility and transport to the masses who couldn’t afford a standard priced car. The Ami has the same concept, it’s bringing electric mobility to those who may not be able to afford a standard electric car”.
Some information from Citroën:
Price – TBC (quote 10,000-12,000 estimate)
Range – 75 km
Charge times – 3 hours (3-pin plug or type 2 adapter)
Battery size – 5.5kWh
Motor – 6kW (8hp)
Top speed (0-45km/h) – 45km/h (10 seconds)
Length, Width – 2.4m long, 1.3m wide
AMI is not a car, but a quadricycle. It is made as an entry point or introduction to electric mobility, allowing affordable access to the benefits of tail-pipe emission free driving. AMI thrives in urban environments as the range (75km) and speed (max 45km/h) are suitable for cities, towns, and villages. Perfect for going to the shop without having to take a combustion vehicle.
AMI benefits from a 5.5kWh battery that will offer 75km of range, suitable for short daily trips and much greater than the average distance travelled each day. With less batteries and manufacturing costs, AMI’s price is reduced compared to any other electric vehicles – its lightweight frame allows it to go the full 75km. Costs are further reduced by AMI’s reduced repair costs, the moulds for the bumpers and doors are the same. Therefore, there is only a need to manufacture one of each, further reducing costs to customers. Basically, the AMI is made of plastic, therefore everything is easy to replace.
Thanks to its panoramic roof, AMI offers a real feeling space and light, enhanced by the large windshield and the side windows. Large glass surfaces that provide excellent visibility for driver and passenger. Being 2.41m long, AMI is a practical size. It only takes up half a parking space! Its diameter turning circle of 7.20m allows AMI to be used in all manoeuvres in the city and considerably simplifies parking. On board, every nook and cranny are used to its maximum: storage at the feet of the passenger can accommodate a suitcase of cabin size. Several other intelligent storage areas are present in the passenger compartment, especially at the back. An accessory will soon be available for AMI where the passenger seat is transformed into a storage compartment for last mile deliveries in cities and more.
Customisation of Ami is key, choose your colour pack, apply the stickers and wheel covers from the comfort of your own home. Additionally, there will soon be an application called MyAmi Play, this will offer an infotainment system on the user’s smartphone. In the colour packs and standard on higher trims of AMI, users will find a dongle and CITROEN SWITCH button, this allows the user to connect their smartphone to the dongle via Bluetooth and control the device with the Switch. MyAmi Play will feature navigation via multiple apps, phone, radio, and the user’s own media or via multiple other apps.
Thanks so much to Ronan and Michelle at Kevin Egan Cars for such a wonderful experience. I really enjoyed finding out more about the Ami, and if I lived in town, it’s certainly something I’d consider, I was surprised at how much I loved it!
This isn’t a sponsored post, and I wasn’t paid to review this car, or to mention any brands.
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