Tiny Citroen AMI EV confirmed for UK
Published 23 September 2021
- Range of up to 46 miles
- Two-seater
- Priced from £6000
The Citroen AMI electric city car will come to the UK in 2022 and is expected to cost from £6000.
The news comes after 12,000 potential buyers expressed an interest in the tiny electric car – they can pay a £250 refundable fee to secure one now. Everyone else can order from 27 September.
The Citroen is purpose-built for the city. At 2.41m in length, it's more than a meter shorter than a Volkswagen Up and has a 7.2m turning circle that will have a Black Hack weeping.
You get a top speed of 28mph and acceleration that makes your average mouse seem like Speedy Gonzales, though you'll still need a full UK car licence to drive it. The AMI's small 5.5kWh battery is only good for a range of 46 miles, but it takes just three hours to charge.
The whole thing has been designed to be cheap to make.
So the front and rear bumpers are identical as are the doors (which hinge on opposing sides) and you get windows that flip up like a 2CV's. The car is also left-hand-drive to cut down on development costs. Although, as Citroen helpfully points out, it does mean you get in and out on the kerbside.
Inside, it's spartan. Features are limited to a heater and a smartphone dock, with storage for a small item of luggage. At least you and your passenger sit side-by-side – so there's no need to straddle a la Renault Twizy – and you get a glass roof that lets in lots of light.
Personalisation is high on the agenda, and a range of customisation packs and accessories will allow you to do just that.
Expect to hear confirmed prices and specs in the next few months.
1
What size is the Citroen AMI?
The Citroen AMI is 2410mm long, 1390mm wide and 1520mm tall.
2
Can you drive a Citroen Ami in the UK?
You can drive the Citroen AMI in the UK, although you'll need a full car licence to do it.
3
How fast can a Citroen AMI go?
Erm... not very. Citroen quotes a top speed of 28mph and hasn't released acceleration figures.
Ask HJ
Small car for short runs: advice please
I live in Dorchester and have decided to buy a little car to go to work in. The car will do a very short journey (about 1 mile) twice a day. I would walk to work except that I have to carry heavy items. I would use the car for occasional longer journeys for up to about 30 miles.
I need your advice on what used car I should look for. I am conscious that the car will not have much of a run in especially in cold weather. The small car should be economical to run in total. I would prefer an automatic car, if possible. I would like to spend about £5000 - £6000 and have a car that can be bought and serviced in Dorchester town itself.
Basically, a petrol or diesel engined car is unsuitable for this sort of use. You need an electric car. You might be able to get hold of a used Citroen Berlingo Electrique. Try Jo Burge, of Drivelectric, tel: 01473 327411. Or consider a Reva Gee Wiz. Or a new Renault Twizy, which would be perfect for this sort of use.
Answered by Honest John
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Ask HJ
Need a congestion charge friendly car - suggestions?
My wife needs a car that can travel through London's Congestion Charge Zone with no fee as it will be a daily journey, which will also be used for work post the commute racking up approx. 100 miles per day. What can you recommend?
There is only one proper new car: The latest model Toyota Prius on standard 15-inch wheels that qualifies by emitting 70g/k, CO2. Otherwise she has to go for a plug-in hybrid, such as a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, or a purely electric car such as a Renault Zoe or a Nissan Leaf or a Volkswagen eUp. The Zoe is reasonably affordable from £17,995 including battery but unfortunately the eUp is £25k. As a further alternative she could go for a Renault Twizy from £6,995 but would need to be able to plug it in somewhere to travel 100 miles. She could also look for a second hand G-Wizz. Or go all out and get a Tesla Model S 70 from £58,300.
Answered by Honest John
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on 23 September 2021
Certainly consider it if can fit a wife, two children and dogs with luggage into it. Otherwise it's just a celeb virtue signaller.Husbandofstinky on 24 September 2021
A brilliant tool for the job. A real world car at real world prices. Niche admittedly. Hopefully this will be a catalyst at this end of the market rather than the over inflated cost for an average day to day EV. I understand why EV's cost as they do but hopefully it has now started to filter down and make them more affordable. Cost savings to negate the excess purchase cost only applies if you do the miles and when you do the serious miles, a diesel still makes sense. A long way to go and constantly evolving but this is a great start for the masses.
Edited by Husbandofstinky on 24/09/2021 at 11:39
Tenchman7 on 25 September 2021
28 MPH would be a rolling roadblock! 46 mile range is not quite there either! A basic electric car for real world local use would need to have at least an 80 mile range coupled with a 40 MPH speed.And on the downside: imagine a chelsea tractor side-swiping this car on a rural road somewhere!.
Price is getting there!!
Tester on 30 September 2021
What an absolutely ridiculous idea. It is a descendant, not far removed. of the equally insane Gee Wiz! What's the point of something that slow, with such short range that it can only be an extra car in someone's collection rather than replacing an existing ICE car? Husbandofstinky is wrong to say that this abomination is a 'great start for the masses'; on the contrary, it's an expensive toy for people who can afford to run additional car(s) for 'normal' driving.alan1302 on 2 October 2021
It is the start - a massive mainstream manufacturer is producing these - if they are popular improvements swill come. Cars were just expensive toys for rich people once. And many people have 2 cars (or more) - easily have a large car for long trips and something like this for around town.
focussed on 2 October 2021
I note there is no estimate of the range using the heater and the lights on a cold January morning. Probably half of the 46 miles quoted? There is one of these trundling about in our little french town driven predictably by a young hippie-looking girl, the thing is covered in save -the -planet greenpeace stickers etc. But if it keeps you out of the rain and gets you to work on time?
I would love to get one of those and graft a Hayabusa engine into it as the ultimate Q car- sadly we're not allowed to do that in France!
Edited by focussed on 02/10/2021 at 22:19
alan1302 on 2 October 2021
Why would you expect a 2 seater to fit all that in? Moaning for moaning's sake?
Andrew Whitworth on 15 October 2021
I don't understand all the negativity around this Citroen Ami. It is designed to be an affordable, cheap to run, environmentally friendly car for going to work, going to the shops etc. My only concern is that it has a top speed of only 28mph, but I understand that this is because you can drive a car in France at 14, if it is restricted to less than 30mph. I am certain that if there is the demand outside France for it to have a higher top speed, say 40mph, this should be a fairly simple technical fix.on 20 January 2022
I think you'll see A LOT of these around, but they'll be for niche groups - an alternative to mobility scooters, for tourists in cities and seaside towns, they may even change who can drive them and make it like Europe where a learners or light motorcycle license will enable you to drive one. I think the chances of entrepreneurs running them like Boris bikes is very high, you might even be able to use your Oyster card to use one. I don't think the 28mph limit will be an issue around town unless you're stupid enough to pull onto a dual carriageway.. guarantee you only ever do that once!Add a comment