Registered my UK interest some time ago. I’d buy one in a heartbeat.

If the limiter was upped to 40mph for UK it would make it a lot more useable.

But then you’d need a better battery and poss motor, or the 40mile range would reduce. So you could have a more costly vehicle.

My guess is someone (poss even Citroen) will do either an upgrade pack (battery and motor) or more likely Citroen will release something more like the Ami one concept – kinda like an Ami GTi. But your well into twizzy pricing and comparability then.

Registered my UK interest some time ago. I’d buy one in a heartbeat.

You should get an email today tobe able to preorder.

Love the idea of these and wish we could see more affordable EV solutions for all rather than the manufacturer obsession for expensive EV SUVs .
This would be perfect for many city dwellers.
As a rural village dweller with a 5 mile commute along a main A road I’d prefer a top speed nearer to 50mph and for kid dropping off duties a 4 seater variant buts its a step in the right direction.
Now if they could focus a bit harder on charging infrared for those of us in rural villages without driveways and access to charging ,there’d be an even bigger uptake to EV.

As a rural village dweller with a 5 mile commute along a main A road I’d prefer a top speed nearer to 50mph and for kid dropping off duties a 4 seater variant buts its a step in the right direction.

Obviously every niche cannot be catered for and I assume they have targeted what they think will be the largest market for such a vehicle. I’d love one but I doubt my wife would entertain the idea (even though it would be me driving it).

Love the idea of these and wish we could see more affordable EV solutions for all rather than the manufacturer obsession for expensive EV SUVs .

It’s not their obsession. The issue is that batteries are really expensive and won’t get cheap until the supply is increased. So they are making expensive SUVs with long ranges so they can milk the better-off to invest in supply chains and manufacturing capacity. Then smaller cheaper EVs will come.

This is why the Ami has a comparatively crappy battery and range to get it in the 6k price point.

I look at those and I can’t help thinking an e-bike would be a lot more convenient. Lock it up anywhere, wheel it into your house/flat, charge in the front room, etc. Fortunately e-bikes are selling well already.

I’d love an ecargo bike for my deliverys, but at half the top speed of an Ami, no roof or winter protection & only a little cheaper (for a good one) etc and a wife that would flatly refuse to use it….. The Ami wins.

The Ami will suit some people,an ebike others and most people not at all….

Obviously every niche cannot be catered for and I assume they have targeted what they think will be the largest market for such a vehicle

I think the target was for French drivers without a full license wasn’t it, hence the capped top speed?

Being able to drive at over 28mph in a car is hardly a niche is it!

If it’s too heavy to be a quadracycle for licensing purposes how does it get through safety.

It’s widely acknowledged that these things (both twizzy and Ami )are shocking in crash situations…..and perhaps that’s why it’s speed limited.

But surely if it needs a car license it needs to be subject to the same safety standards.

A large part of the original target market was for teenagers in Europe, and also drivers with restricted licenses within mainland Europe – it’s classed as a quadricycle in Europe. But also for carshare and central city hire car schemes.

Unfortunately the UK gov and DVLA had deemed it too heavy for a quadricycle in the UK – so not for 16yr olds on provisional licenses. It’s only too heavy because the batteries are weighty and UK law doesn’t recognize this.

Regarding safety laws, I’m guessing it’s in the same class that you see road legal quad bikes and those little farm vehicles (which have significantly higher top speeds) are road legal.

I like the idea of the Ami. I think it’s what the Renault Twizzy should have been. This gives adequate protection from the weather and is a far better option for much of northern Europe which is a bit wetter than the Mediterranean where I think the Twizzy is more popular.

Having got two medium sized cars, I could see this replacing one. Just handy for the shops and not a stupid price like most electric cars.

I like the idea of the Ami. I think it’s what the Renault Twizzy should have been

I also like the idea of it and would prefer it over a Twizy (especially as Twizys are way more expensive now) but it was designed for a specific purpose/scenario as mentioned above which it meets well. I don’t think it meets what is expected of a car requiring a full UK license anywhere near as well.

I look at those and I can’t help thinking an e-bike would be a lot more convenient.

ebikes will never appeal to 90%+ of those who wouldn’t be regular cyclists or walkers. It’s the real and perceived danger of mixing it in traffic, the being exposed to the elements in your best office/going out clothes/hair/makeup, the likelihood of it being nicked if you don’t have proper managed storage at most ends of your predicted journeys, all of that. The Ami looks like it could convince some of those, and if it wasn’t horrible to look at, might have convinced a few more.

The Ami looks like it could convince some of those

I doubt it, personally. People who want to change will change their behaviours, people who don’t won’t. I suspect people citing those things you mentioned are in the latter category so won’t want to get out of their normal cars. But I hope I’m wrong.

especially as Twizys are way more expensive now

Twizzys are not really any more expensive than they were. Just now you own the battery as oppose pay a monthly rental.

I think the Ami is great – but I can see our local scroats picking it up and wandering off with it/putting it on a wall/turning it over etc 🙁

Twizzys are not really any more expensive than they were. Just now you own the battery as oppose pay a monthly rental.

Good point. The cheapest is still £12K though which is a crazy price for what it is.

Twizzys

Sounds like a chocolate bar doesn’t it?

https://www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk/en/models/urban_mobility/ce04.html

£12k and half the wheels.

^ that BMW is stunning. Love the styling/design

I agree it’s funny money for a crippled scooter i’d still buy a twizzy over an Ami currently based on the ability to make safe passage on roads outside the city rather than being a rolling road block

The more I read real world reviews of the Ami, the less likely I am to follow through with my deposit on one…..

a real world 30% range drop in cold weather on a 40mile range car is pretty bad and would only just cover me going to the 3 of 4 local railway stations.

Mud and water ingress due to shoddy door seals and failed welds on the chassis….

Practical issues with Ami include woefully undersized heater which struggles to keep windshield clear in single digit temps. Might be more designed as a summer car.

The issue is that batteries are really expensive and won’t get cheap until the supply is increased.

No, the price of batteries will drop when the technology allows the use of cheap, readily available elements in their manufacturing.

Lithium is very difficult to extract, and those areas where it’s currently mined are environmental wastelands, plus the extraction requires vast amounts of water. Then there’s cobalt…

There are some interesting developments in battery technology using sodium and iron, both very readily available and very abundant, and it looks very promising, but it’s getting adequate storage density, and scaling up that’s the issue – get past those hurdles and the price of EV’s will drop, making them much more appealing.

Give me an EV that’s the equivalent of my EcoSport, with around 400+ miles range, and I’d be all over it; I’d only need to charge it once or twice a month!

Practical issues with Ami include woefully undersized heater which struggles to keep windshield clear in single digit temps. Might be more designed as a summer car.

Couple that with a wind screen that’s 4ft away from the driver and users are keeping extendable window squeegees in the car…..

Lithium is very difficult to extract, and those areas where it’s currently mined are environmental wastelands, plus the extraction requires vast amounts of water. Then there’s cobalt…

Cobalt is being reduced or eliminated from batteries and Lithium is somewhat easier to extract than oil.

https://www.revolution-energetique.com/il-ny-a-plus-de-cobalt-ni-de-nickel-dans-le-megapack-de-tesla/

a real world 30% range drop in cold weather on a 40mile range car is pretty bad and would only just cover me going to the 3 of 4 local railway stations.

Mud and water ingress due to shoddy door seals and failed welds on the chassis….

Cheap Citroen is not very good shocker!!! 🙂

Practical issues with Ami include woefully undersized heater which struggles to keep windshield clear in single digit temps. Might be more designed as a summer car.

Just reading the Top Gear review which says the charging port is in the door frame and you have to leave the car door open to charge it. Unbelievable!

Just reading the Top Gear review which says the charging port is in the door frame and you have to leave the car door open to charge it. Unbelievable!

Fake news. There’s a slot for the cable

Edit: all part of the Top Gear anti-EV andt-Citroën propaganda. In an article on their site they claim you’ll melt things if you try to fast charge. Of course you won’t, there are protection circuits.

Interestingly just saw a YouTube advert for the ami, with no doors (or very minimal) and it was more lifestyle adventure orientated.

(Probably an advert for the primary euro yoof market)

I want one for the beach 🙂

Ami

Meh it’s a ‘concept’ :-(, still where do i sign up for one 🙂

I watched the Fifth Gear Recharged test drive of the Ami, on catch up last night.

If you can access Quest on catch up, it’s worth a look. They had it up on two wheels at one point, which is a bit alarming as it’s top speed is only 28 mph. However, they were swinging it around a bit, so under normal use it’s probably ok. Just don’t swerve quickly to avoid any pedestrians or wild animals 🥺

Seems to be a vehicle without a purpose in UK. Still too slow – the youth can’t use em like they can in europe Twizzy for its lack of doors still a better poor option

Here’s hoping for a Dacia spring launching in UK.

Seems to be a vehicle without a purpose in UK. Still too slow – the youth can’t use em like they can in europe Twizzy for its lack of doors still a better poor option

As I said earlier in thread, it fits our use case perfectly. Just because it doesn’t work for you doesn’t mean it might not work for other people.

When does yours arrive ?

As I said earlier in thread, it fits our use case perfectly. Just because it doesn’t work for you doesn’t mean it might not work for other people.

Yep, I don’t want to get sand in my Aston 🙂

Joking aside,I think the use case is an important thing, short range electric cars are expensive for the limitations.

If something like an ami fits in with your needs for short journeys it’s reasonably priced and quirky.

As I said earlier in thread, it fits our use case perfectly. Just because it doesn’t work for you doesn’t mean it might not work for other people.

What is your use case? The real problem with it is the 28mph top speed, not the range.
I take it that you would be using it solely on 30mph limited roads so good for you but I think outside of living right in a major city that 28mph limit is going to be a real hindrance/dangerous.

I live in an area where most of the B roads are 40mph with a few A roads that are 50 and 60 that I have no option but to use to get anywhere so sadly an Ami doesn’t work for me at all.

I live in an area where most of the B roads are 40mph with a few A roads that are 50 and 60 that I have no option but to use to get anywhere so sadly an Ami doesn’t work for me at all.

I think out of its use case it’s compromised,it’s not a car so doesn’t have the crash protection we take for granted.

The nice thing about the petrol smart I have is that it’s capable of handling the 50+60 mph sections as well as being great pootling around tight town sections and tbh plastic deformable bodywork is a useful thing in Spain.

A leccy smart cabrios a bit tasty in the pricing tbh 27.5k+ euros