Citroën is shaking up the electric vehicle industry and the auto industry in general with this cute little fellow called Citroën Ami Electric Micro Mobility. This cutie caught our eyes not only because it is damn adorable. It is because of the accessibility to nearly everyone and affordability.
Technically, Ami is not actually a car. It is a quadricycle. In other words, it is kind of like an electric four-wheeled cycle, except there’s no pedaling involved (thankfully!). Being a quadricycle means nearly anyone who are at least 14 years of age can drive. Absolutely no license required (at least in the case of some countries).
However, as a quadricycle, it does have its caveats. It has very little power, in this case just 8 horses, and it has a speed limit of 27.9 mph (45 kph). It is super lightweight, though, at just 1,070 lbs (485 kilograms) and therefore putting it in the light quadricycle class.
The range is modest too. You will get about 43 miles (70 kilometers) per charge from its 5.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. As a boon, it can be charged with any regular EU sockets – in addition to public charging stations.
It is really a bare bone vehicle with no entertainment or navigation onboard. If you want entertainment or navigation, you will have rely on your smartphone for which the vehicle has a cradle to accommodate it as well as a place for your Bluetooth speaker, if you are so incline to listen to music while driving.
Impossible cuteness aside, the biggest draw is its affordability. It is very seriously affordable. You can lease one for just €19.99 (about US$22) per month after dropping a down payment of €2,644 (around US$2,909), or if you have the cash, you can buy it outright for €6,000 (roughly US$6,600).
If both options are beyond you, you can join the app-based car-sharing program which charges you €0.26 (or 0.30 cents) per minute.
Images: Citroën.