American Reacts to the Citroen Ami EV
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ธ.ค. 2023
- Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @iwrocker
original - - • Citroën My Ami Buggy C...
• NEW Citroen Ami Buggy ...
TIP JAR - - - - - SuperThanks Button :)
This will help improve the channel greatly, New webcam for better videos, Wheel for the hotlaps, or you can just buy me a cold drink 😎 I APPRECIATE YOU
Send us Stuff!! 😋 IWrocker 5225 Harrison Ave PO box # 6145
Rockford, IL 61125
Discord - - IWrocker TH-cam - - / discord
LIKE and Subscribe! Join One of the BEST & wholesome Communties on TH-cam, with tons of Variety in content for You to Enjoy.
*TimTam collection Record Holder
*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
![ขายสมบัติ Ferrari 488 ลูกรักก!! l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pwF1Il1Uevw/mqdefault.jpg)
Legally, this car is classed as a street legal moped/scooter in Europe, hence the low power and top speed.
Also, in most European countries, you can get a moped license from 16 years of age, some even from 14 years of age. And in many, you also don’t need a moped license when over 18 or 21 years of age.
Currently in Finland;
15 year : moped (50cc, 45km/h) or L6e light quadrocycle
16 year : "light motorcycle" 125cc
18 year : full driving license, 17 with special exception permit.
Learning to live with one L6e diesel as son got license and have a moped car (l6e) now... A bit of a shock to EV driver to understand that it doesn't try to rip itself to pieces as those 2-cyl diesels aren't smoot running things... :D
In sweden you have to be 31 to not need a moped license.
Very good in heavy traffic cities
In France you need the moped license (AM) unless you are born before 1988
Portugal only requires a license to ride a 50cc
The ami aimed to people who does not have the regular driving (B class in France).
The regulations (at least in France) makes that this category of vehicle ( called "véhicule sans permis" or vehicle without license in english) are limited to 8hp 45km/h (or about 29mph) and since 2017 to 425kg (or around 950lbs).
Those vehicle are street legal and can be driven at the age of 14 but are not allowed on highways.
"The regulations (at least in France)"
EU directives that are made in national regulations.
Same with licenses. You need AM to drive it how you obtain AM license is national law and a little bit different. (16 years old in Austria, 15 in Germany, 14 in Italy).
EU countries can set the minium age for the AM class between 14 and 18.
In my eyes, Citroën failed to bring an electric car.
The swiss of Microlino have successfully made it though.
@boboutelama5748 The Microlino is an L7e quadricycle, roughly equivalent to a 125 cc motorcycle, limited in weight and maximum 80kmh. Its a lovely vehicle, €18,000 for the base model, the Ami base modelis is €7,600. Citroen have the C3 ev which is a proper electric car for €25,000.
@@boboutelama5748 Microlino is a tub with wheels witch should have the same price as a tub,at 18.000 you can buy a proper car not that crap,at least Citroen had the decency to understand what are they selling and put a proper price on it.
@@boboutelama5748 bullshit: the Microlino cost MORE THAN TWICE THE PRICE from a AMI!!!
Besides, it's used here (Portugal) for deliveries by postal and parcel services. They do a fantastic job.
They ditched the bubble thing by the Aveiro Uni?!
(or was that an Aveiro-only thing?)
Keep in mind that Citroen Ami only costs 6000 €/$ and that you can fully charge it on regular electrical outlet within 8 hours.
Plus you don't need a drive licence to enjoy it.
It's perfect for short distance in big cities ;)
"Only" 6000€.
How do you charge it when you live in a city apartement?
No,€7,900 now for the base model.
@@michiel5160You drop a cable out of a window
@@ziggarillo You are partially right => 7000€. In France, there is a "ecological bonus" (bonus écologique) of 900€.
Looks perfect for the Isle of Wight, where I live. Although I've never seen one! Reminds me of the Mini-Moke as seen in The Prisoner - "I am not a number, I am a free man"
I only know the whereabouts of one in Chichester which I've seen parked on a driveway.
The Ami is that underpowered and slow because it's a "licence-less" car here in France ^^
And to get this status you have pretty stricts criteria about weight, power and top speed.
Meaning you can drive it from 14 years old and without needing to get your driving licence.
For full on cars, you need your driving licence and you can't get it before you're 18.
(These micro cars cars are also popular among older people who got their licence confiscated)
Never had the opportunity to try one but several people told me they are pretty fun to drive actually.
Citroen doesn't usually make this kind of cars, most of the time they are made by specialised brands like Ligier, Aixam or Chatenet
yeah the perk of this car is that middle-aged women can drive it
Same thing here in Sweden with the "license-free" vehicles with a top speed of 25Kmh, no weight limit though, I have seen young kids with large Truck tractors in this configuration.
It’s the same regulation that’s scooters. The vehicule don’t allow to go over 45kph and forbidden on freeways. There is a very soft licence for at least 14yo kids to drive it. But it’s 10 times more expensive that a regular cheap used car! It’s ridiculous, ensalable unless to big cities with big budgets for there very center.
@@augure2589 Yep, at least 14yo.
It is essentially a production vehicle made from the OLI concept car/pick up truck which has the motto : less is best.
th-cam.com/video/JrFupUJALCY/w-d-xo.html
it sounds very similar to my Renault Twizzy. Mine is street legal (in Reykjavík) .. but considered a "motorized vehicle" (more like a motorized wheelchair actually). Its top speed is 50 km/h, fully electric with a range of around 45km on one charge. (used to be 50). It offers room for 1 person (a second one CAN sit behind me .. actually, it better be a good friend, because the second person literally sits in the seat, while i (the driver) would sit kind of in their lap) - but there is also a real 2 seat version (one behind the other again) ... It has no doors (which is a bummer in Iceland - as it rains quite a lot .. not to mention its cold)
So this one seems to be the spiritual twin of my Renault .. no surprise there, its French, too.
Twizzy is classed as a 4 wheeled motorcycle, this is classed as a 4 wheeled moped/scooter. Perhaps yours has some kind of special Icelandic regulations limit, or also classed as a moped, because normal Twizzys are faster than 50km/h, about 80 or so is possible. You can also get doors to fit the twizzy, if you so wish.
Also, I like your name " Alfadrottning86 ", didnt know you had that type of spelling in icelandic, me being from Sweden, it seemed swedish to me. Learn something new everyday I suppose.
@@GoldenCroc They make two versions of the Twizy; the Twizy 85 that can reach 85km/h (which is the one you're thinking about), but also the Twizy 45 which can only reach 45km/h.
@GoldenCroc They did 2 versions of the Twizy an L6e " sans permis" version,limited to 45kph and the L7e version limited to 80 kph.
The french word "Ami" means "Friend". The German Car Manufacturer Adam Opel AG has a license for the Citroen Ami and produce this car under his own label and name: Opel Rocks- E (speaking "Roxy") in Germany.
Where I live some post offices have some of the "normal" ones, so postman can deliver mail in city centers easily and free of emissions! The only thing diferent it's the livery and no passenger sit, uses that place for mail!
Citroën's "jeep" is the Mehari... another thing that should interest you.
30 miles per hour is adequate for urban driving. A 48 mile range is enough for urban driving. This quadricycle costs about the same as a cheap motorbike, offers more weather protection, and makes sense for short journeys. I would consider one, given where I live, given that I don't like to use my ice car for journeys less than two miles, but don't like using public transport
Not practical for the US and Canada. My commute is 20 miles, so in the winter the range would likely fall below the 40 miles required for a round trip. And my commute is quite short, most of my colleagues commute 50 miles or more.
The ami is called a citycar, they are very popular in large cities all over Europe, together with other citycars such as the Renault Twizy. They are made to be small and nippy and to be used around all the small roads within European cities.
I can confirm that in some European countries you CAN drive these citycars/microcars without a driving license and in many other countries can be driven from 14 y/o with a very basic license.
I’m in Ireland and have never seen one but there is one model of car that I see once in a while that you should check out if you haven’t already, the Renault Twizy. It’s a 2 seat electric car, the passenger seat is behind the driver, and the cabin is narrower than the wheelbase
Hi Ian,
in Germany the Citroen AMI (what is translated to "Friend") was available in 1961 until 1978. Yes, it was a bigger 2CV. Then the AMI ElectricVehicle came and it seems to me it was instand sold, haven't seen one beside Car-Fairs. But there is the equal Opel Rocks-E (or e-Rocks?) we have a few of them in my small Town with 20k-Inhabitats.
This AMI is seen as Quad in Germany and for Vehicles with a Top-Speed of 45km/h (=28mph) you only need the Licence "AM" you can get when you're 15yo. You also just need a rear Insurance-Plate/Sticker that also means you don't have to pay Car-Taxes, not a whole Pair of Licence-Plates. Like a small Scooter or Vehicle for Disabled with 45km/h max you're not allowed to drive on the Autobahn or Schnellstraße (Highway/Expressway).
Especially in France there are many of those small Vehicles, for Example "Ligier", "Microcars", "Aixam"
My Favorit was the Renault Twizy (Petrol or EV, 45km/h or faster with bigger Plates) or is the Evergreen Piaggio Ape (Tuktuk-like, 45km/h or faster). And i'm a bit jealous of the british Car-Reglements because i've seen a Video of a Street-legal Ape with an Suzuki-Hayabusa-Engine (Okay, it would scare me to Death😅)...
And not to forget, the 3-d one in the line, the Fiat Topolino (also based on the Citroen Ami), with just 2 ropes as doors. 😂
The Renault Twizy is also available with a top speed of 80 km/h, and you are allowed to drive those on the motorway (at least here in Sweden), but you also need a B driving license, of course. I did a quick test run with one a few years ago and I kind of liked it, except the suspension was horrible. Felt like there was no suspension at all.
The 60's AMI you refered there, had a rotary engine.
Yes, a Wankel!
We never got official the AMI only the boring Rocks.e and in a couple of weeks even the Fiat Topolino. The Hand full AMI in Germany are self importet by there owners from France and have an more than qustionable Warranty Status. Why Stellantis doesn´t sell the AMI in Germany but only the boring Rocks-e at the moment is there own secret because i´m pretty sure that th AMI would sell miles better than the Rocks-e
I bet they can sell the Opel more expensive than "only a Citroen"@@mariokuppers5686
The nice thing is that the front panel is exactly the same like the back panel. Even the doors are the same.
AMI, with a A like in "car", you where right :-)
Ami also means "friend" in french.
Look for the Citroën AMI 6, you'll see it's a very old car in fact, from the 60's :-P
In France, quadricycles represent a sizeable part of the motor vehicles market, previously mostly on the countryside but nowadays electric quadricycles are becoming way more common in big urban areas.
As already said, it is meant to be driven from a teenager age on, here in Germany from 16 years on, with a moped license.
Parents may have a better feeling, when their kids have a roof and proper windshield around them and can't fall like on a regular 2-wheeled moped.
Hello from 🇫🇷. On of my friend have one of them (regular one). It's not a car but a quadricycle (literally a moped on four wheels) and it's by law the max speed is 45 km/h.
BTW as it's stellantis now there is a Fiat and an Opel version of the Ami (friend in French). And it's a pretty good success.
The other French electric quadricycle is even weirder : Renault twizzy. Check it 😉
The thing that scares me the most about the Twizy... is that some versions go to 80km/h 😅
You need to remember that this is an AM car in the EU. Witch means that in most countries it is legal for 15yr old drivers. Even perfect for people who lost their drivers licence (you can never lose AM licence) and need a way to shop, collect packages or visit friends. Even as a cheap second car for familys, to go on smaller arrend around town.
Here in the Netherlands most of them are registered as a moped.
But they are also able to be registered as a car and probably then the top speed can be higher.
They are also available through Opel as the Rocks. Since Opel is part of the PSA group nowadays.
The top speed remains 45km/h. It's also sold under the fiat brand, psa became part of stellantis a few years ago that also includes fiat and a bunch of american brands.
it's a huge success here in France and Italy. We see them everywhere in town.
The Citroën AMI is a small electric car. It only has one battery and one electric motor as standard.
Each country has its own legislation for this model in Europe, but in France it can be driven in town and on the road. Only expressways above 90 km/h are prohibited (motorway, dual carriageway, etc.) Afterwards, the bodywork changes to diversify the range. In France we can drive from 14 years old with a road safety test.
We have a bunch of that here .... They are allowed on the streets but not highways ... Citroên Oli prototype and its design is very cool too.
Americans would put this onto the back of their trucks and ride it into the store, so they don't have to walk.
😂😂😂
In England it's classed as a quadracycle , They are lightweight, low-powered and small vehicles that only require a pass on a Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) test - and the individual must hold a provisional licence before you can drive. So basically the same as a moped/scooter . At least that's what I think
"Not a daily driver" is probably down to a north american perspective. Commuting and shopping in europe are often different to american expectations and this type of vehicle fitting in better to an urban planning more centered to walkability.
4:48 : 2 seater quadrocycle, street legal. In europe there is a type of a car/quadrocycle that can be driven without license. Sadly that licence free option is not here in Finland, and my son had 3 hours of driving lessons and few theory hours + test (theory + drive) to obtain that license. More commonly quadrocycles are diesel engine with 5-8hp 2 cylinder non-turbo 0.4-0.5l engines. Speed is limited to 45km/h by law. Commonly used for teens (15-17 years) to commute to school and hobbies. Full driving license for normal cars can be obtained on age of 18 or with exception permit on age of 17.
The Citroen Ami (1961-1978) was a 602cc underpowered car. In 1973 they came up with the Citroen Ami Super with a 1015cc boxer motor that fits the new emerging Citroen GS Series. I was a happy owner of that car in gold light brown colour. It was a great car. Worth to know more about it.
I had an Ami Super in citron yellow. Brilliant! Doorhandles on the deck all the way 😊😊😊😊😊
@@roygavin8219 🙂🙂🙂
The french are specialists of making funny and unusual cars such as the Renault Wind, Renault Twitzy, Cugnot Fardier from 1771, Helicron, the 2CV Sahara with two engine and Mixhelin PLR with 10 wheels and two V8 engines just to name a few 😂
It’s taken a while but here in SW France, they are catching on. I see at least one regularly driving around on the local roads.
Coincidentally i've just seen a tv commercial for the new Citroën Ami here in the UK, about 10mins before this popped up in my feed.
Fun fact : the normal AMI (the blue one) has 2 doors that are exactly the same on both side, to decrease the price of the car and the reparation.
It is quite funny, the door on the left side is normal but the door on the right side is attached and opens funnily.
The interior and exterior design is so cool, better than the Renault Twizzy (electrical) for me.
These would be ideal in congested cities where space is limited. You really wouldn't need it to go faster in most cities, and parking would be a breeze!
This car is designed for young people; in France, you can drive it from the age of 14 without a license
In Spain at the same age, but we need an AM license, a moped license and it is limited to 45 kmh.
Greetings
That's the same in France, unless you are born before 1988 you have to pass the AM license
The aim for the Ami is the city, with short travel times, so it doesn't need a lot of confort
I saw one of two of these in Paris in Summer 2022, but I am yet to see one here in the UK
(I assume all of them are used as city runabouts in London and they wouldn't make sense around where I live)
I have seen a couple of Renault Twizzies around though (YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY CHECK OUT THE TWIZZY)
And also I occasionally see Aixams and Microcars (all of which fall into this category in Europe, but make no sense in the UK as you need a full licence)
The speed isn't limited for technical reasons but mainly to fall in the category that allows you to drive it without a licence.
For teenagers mainly, or if the police took away your licence.
Another fun and original one is from Renault: the Twizzy.
The Citroën Ami has two brothers. The Opel e-Rocks and the Fiat Topolino.
“Me and Mon Ami” is a TH-cam channel run by 2 Ami-owning Brits in the South of France. It is an entertaining and insightful look at running an Ami, while neither Brit has a driving licence .
I love that channel, “since none of us have a driver license, let’s get a car that does requires it and drive around” 😂
Hey Ian, look up the older Citroen ami 6 from the 50's. They look great. Hello from Germany 🇩🇪
it was the "little big" sister of the mythic 2CV.
You took the word out of my mouth.
We have a growing love for the Ami 6.
Huge success at least in France . You can see planty of this QUADRICYCLE near schools . A safer scooter, made for parents tranquility…
In France, this car does not require a license and can be driven by 16-year-olds. It's often used as an alternative to the scooter, which is considered too dangerous on the road. I'm seeing more and more of these cars, which can be parked at home in small gardens.
Ami means friend in French.
My Ami Buggy => My Friend Buggy or Miami Buggy a word play on the word Ami Miami and Buggy,
Reason to have regular and suicide opening door, since the doors are identical, it is made on the same machine. The front and the back is identical, made by the same machine. This is how they make it cheaper.
Fun fact: there was a Citroën Ami in the 60's (maybe 70's) which had.. A rotary engine! (Yes, a Wankel! Like Mazda has).
Hello, I am Belgian and I have had a Citroen Ami for 2 years, her name is Simone and I love her.
« En voiture Simone ». I love it. 😂
C'est toi qui klaxonnes!@@CitronCassis
This is the modern day Ami, Ian, the original Ami was produced between 1961 and 1978 and was just a normal car. Since you like the unique look of older Citröens you should take a look at it to see how quirky looking it was, especially the early version. There was one on the bottom right picture at 15:15 but you missed it.
Btw, "ami" means friend in English. 😉
They used the older version of the ami in the gendarmes movies from louis de funes. The base for it was actually the same as for the 2cv
@@MrTheStare - I'm aware of that but I doubt Ian has ever watched a Louis de Funès movie. 😄
@@module79l28 doubtfull he did, but he has certainly watched some scenes (remember the cross country with the 2cv).
Just a normal car?! The original Ami had a rotary engine!
@@sirsancti5504 - That was just a prototype, of which they made only a few units for testing purposes. It never went into production. All the Amis had air-cooled flat engines, a flat-2 in the early models and a flat-4 in the Super model. So yes, it was just a normal car.
4:56 This is a moped car manufactured by French Citroën.
makes regular cars and has done so since 1919.
Citroën is now more part of the automotive group Stellantis N.V.
The group is French - Italian and owns the car manufacturers
Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, RAM, Mopar, Fiat, Abarth, Peugot, Opel, Vauxhall, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati and Citroën.
The head office is located in Amserdam in the Netherlands.
Don't leave one of these parked next to your wheelie-bin or you might find the trashmen trying to empty it into their truck. 😂
Kyle Conner from OutOfSpecReviews drove one in LasVegas last year if I’m correct. He found it fun to drive as I can remember. It was a special version with a Valeo label that could drive 80 km/h (software modification)
In the largest cities In Europe,,,this little thing is used for shopping,,, and is becoming more popular,,, with other models coming forward soon.
@IWrocker, i could see Steve Urkel (from Family Matters) driving that car! In Family Matters he drove a three wheeled car where the door to get in was also the front of the car (with the windscreen (windshield). 😂
Citroën was always the rebellious boy of the French automotive industry. always revolutionizing with designs and innovations, that not everyone liked, but that never stopped them.
Except it's not exclusive to Citroen and rebellious at all, because Fiat and Opel sell the exact same thing.
This tiny car is very popular in France, i m living in middle size city and i cant travel a day without seeing one.
Teenagers love it. It is cool, affordable you can drive it without a licence. You just need 14 yr old ,, the munimal legal age is 18 yr old for a regular car.
This Ami is a great alternative to city scooters.
Where i live, Sicily (Italy), it's very diffused among youngs. You can drive, in Italy, with an Am driving licence that you can get on your 14 birthday. It's fun, cheap, and practical for the urban envioriornament. It is a perfect EV , it make more sense than an Hummer EV...
Citroën engineers has always been bold and thinking "out of the box"! Waaay out of the box😄 I´ve had 2 Citroëns through the years and high on my "Want one" list is a 2CV and convert it with i BMW motorcyclemotor🤪
The Ami is actually a "homage" or "retro" remake of an old model, as in the 60s and 70s you got a Citroen Ami, which was like a mix between a Citroen 2CV and a Ford Anglia (the car from Harry Potter) as it had that weir rear window that sloped inwards from the roof like the Anglia.
The old ones were followed by a number though, I only remember Ami 6 and Ami 8, not sure what the numbers mean tho.
Also, the new Ami is classified as an electric quadracycle, so you might need a smaller license than for a car to drive it, like a moped (50cc) license, or a light motorcycle (125cc) license, or maybe even just a Tractor license.
In Norway we have a similar vehicle called Paxter. You will find several videos on TH-cam.
It's a daily car for city, and it's what it's made for. And the other purpose, is child. In France, 14y old children can drive this, and for parents who can afford it, it's WAY MORE safety than usual scooter or 50cc motorcycle. And it's usually not sell, it's rent.
There was another Ami by Citroën back in the 1960's. It was a completely different car, they just reused the name, but it's interesting nevertheless. I'm sure there videos about it here in TH-cam.
It's a name that goes way back, to the Citroen Ami 8, which had a whole family of starter models.
I'm honestly not surprised the Ami rolled on that bend in Monaco - it's both steep and a tighter turn than it looks approaching it, and that doesn't come across on the video. I've only ever driven down it in a Fiat van with a refridgerated compartment on the back, but it's part of the GP circuit. It's honestly a "practical" vehicle in tiny perched villages with narrow roads. Also, I've been told, because it's sans permis you can still drive one if you've lost your car license - for example by being done for DUI - not sure how true that is.
I've been enjoying your videos very much. Tip from another citroën afficionado: check the Citroën Méhari, the sort-of plastic 2cv offroad buggy.
Maybe you should also check the French manufacturer Matra. The company started (and still is i think) in the space and aeronautics industry. They later made weird cars, sometimes with other more 'normal' brand cars. Check the Simca-Matra Rancho, Matra Bagheera and Matra Murena. They even made a futuristic looking V6 minivan for Renault, the Renault Avantime.
In Germany, you can obtain a category B driving license (for normal cars up to 3.5t) at the age of 18. For this type of car (only 2 seats, max. 6 kW, max. 45 km/h), you can obtain a category AM driving license at the age of 15.
If you like this car, check out the Microlino!
The roll-away sunroof is reminicent of the old 2CV fabric roof. (Also with the way it seemed none the worse for wear after falling on its side and probably light enough that a couple of people could push it back up again and be able to drive away.)
It is a light vehicle classified LE6
Light 4-wheel engine powered vehicle with max 425kg (without batteries), max 45 km/h (28 mph) and max 50 ccm or 6kW power.
This weights 471kg with batterie and has a 6kW electro engine.
The off road versions are all concept cars.
You can have it in light blue as Citroen Ami EV, grey as Opel e-rocks, and mint green as Fiat Topolino.
Fiat, Opel, Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroen are all brands from Groupe PSA.
Peugeot bought all.
The Ami is much bigger than the Canta and more car than the Biro.
Much cheaper than any Ligier or Chatenet. So a good alternative.
it's not a car, it's a "quadriccyle" and those saying they are under powered check it performing in urban traffic (roundabouts, intersections). The one's I see more often are used for mail delivery (passenger side is turned in cargo area)
First thing that came to my mind: "Oh, so they gave a golf cart to the Citroen designers..." 😅
Looks fun for the city though!
I live out in the country, and we have quite many Piaggio Ape around here that younger people from farms and small villages use to get to the train station and school. The big advantage of the Ape is, that it has a fully closed cabin, and they even use it in the winter in the snow...
Drove an Ami when I was on Paxos, one of the small Greek islands, and it was ideal as the island is only about 10 miles long. It was excellent. Although I do wish it was the buggy version as that thing is pure 80's concept "lifestyle" car like the Ford Splash & Pontiac Stinger.
Sad thing about the Ami in the UK is that very few insurers are willing to actually insure it ( I think 3) so it's crazy expensive to insure one of these.
I saw one in Irvine in Scotland the other day so must be worth it I guess as it's excellent as a city car and perfect for ULEZ/ LEZ zones
Portuguese Air Force have 11 AMI's that are used as "Follow Me" cars.
Would love to see a photo of a F16 behind one of those
To understand this car, you need to know that Europe has a couple of different microcar categories and matching driver's licence classes. While it differs from country to country in which driver's licence class package those microcar licence classes are sorted in, often, you don't need a full car licence package for them (or at least the smaller ones).
The Ami is, as far as I know, in one of the bigger classes, so in many countries, you need a car licence package, but there are plenty of (often Chinese) microcars that are even lighter, slower, and less powerful than the Ami that can be driven with a "25 kph bike" or a "45 kph bike" licence package.
The reason for the 30 mph speed limit is not a security question. In France, it's a limit fixed by law for all motor vehicles that don't need a driving licence. Many people who have had their driving licence suspended for driving too fast or being drunk buy these cars. Also, the kids above 14 prefer to ride one of these little city cars rather than a moped.
I don't know about French laws, but in Germany you can be street legal no matter how slow you are. The only thing to consider is, you are not allowed to use Kraftfahrstraßen (roads for powered vehicles only, for example Autobahn) when you are technically unable to reach at least 61 km/h (38 mph).
I have never seen the Citroen version but there is an Opel version too and I had a chance to have a closer look at one. Everything about is screams cheap crap. Except for the price. You pay more than you get. Generally, I really like unconventional car designs, especially the small, lightweight ones. But this thing is crap. Even though the Renault Twizy is more expensive and a single seater, you get more for your money there.
In France, it is the segment of « cars without licence » (you only need the scooter licence after 14 years old). It is for young people who need to drive before 18 yo, or in cities where there is traffic, and also for people searching a cheap solution (AMI is even distributed in DARTY stores, which sells TV and fridges).
I have seen some Twizzy used in Paris which where part of a car pool for companies, to go from one building to the other.
But, since 3 years there are more and more AMI in Paris and even in Rome because they are easy to park, and to charge.
I wouldn’t say you pay more than what you have : AMI is sold at 8400€ today (or 25€/month), and the interior and exterior design is super cool.
To fit Ian in this car, you have to take out the seat and have a bigger sun roof.😂 Ian, since you love vintage and somewhat wierd cars, have a look at the BMW Isetta. It's an egg concept car from the late 50's.
I've seen two up here in Scotland, one in the area of Stirling and another out at North Berwick. They are great little runabouts for short distances, and if you have solar at home then you'll never need to buy fuel again, which you'd need to drive a good distance out of where I've seen them to buy fuel.
In Portugal, a16y old can drive this. It's awesome. 49km max speed.
it's 14yo in France and you'll see dozens of them in front of schools !
1:48 - Ian, us 'road race folks' have a saying.."Friends don't let friends 'early apex'." Maybe he was just trying to keep from crossing the centerline..but damn. I think that's the "Grand Hotel Hairpin", Turn 6 on the current track map. Dude's trip uphill is counter-race direction, he was running race direction downhill (if I got it right) when he rolled it. Apex on that one is about half-way through the thing, even if you're trying to stay in your lane. As crazy as Monaco is for modern F1, I love it. First time I ever saw road racing in the Southern US was the Monaco GP on ABC's "Wide World of Sports" when I was a kid in the late 1960s.
As far as the Ami goes, it reminds me of a side-by-side! My family vacation in Gatlinburg, TN, there were dozens of SxS that had headlights/taillights/blinkers fitted to make them street-legal. They were a lot faster, though - I think most of them had motorcycle engines. I'm also laughing with you at the plastic rain windows at 7:17 ..I started in old British sportscars, and many of the cheaper ones had plastic side windows that you had to place in a track at the top of the door before you put the top up. You're right about 'horses for courses', though. My mom retired to the Florida Panhandle, something like the Ami would be perfect for her old Beach Girl lifestyle. Running around town, picking up a few groceries, boiling some fresh shrimp over an open fire next to the sand dunes..yeah. I wish more little cars like this were available in the US.
Back to the guy that rolled it at Monaco: Elwood & Jake say it's Ladies' Night at the Grand Hotel Ballroom..
th-cam.com/video/Z5Z6PPhAogQ/w-d-xo.html
The Ami was built to be the less expensive EV on the european market, that's why the front and the back are the same, the doors are the same to reduce the cost at the maximum, it even have the 2CV openning system for the (half) windows ^^ it's basically 4 wheels, a battery, a motor and 2 seats in a plastic box ^^
While working, I've seen plenty of them on resarch and industrial campus, so the employees can move across the all area and transport some stuff pretty easily
The Matchbox toy is actually a 1:1 replica😂
Fun fact: Citroen Berlingo has enough space in the back, so you can put Ami there. And use it as a shopping cart in convenience store. I'm pretty sure Citroen will make some mounts, so you could put your Ami on a back door, while your trunk is full
Saw some recently in Rome and thought they were great, driving down minute cobbled streets; I have now seen a couple in London doing deliveries.
In Europe people don't buy golf-carts because they are not street legal and in most of Europe you wouldn't want to drive one except in the summer months (too open). The Ami is the rare exception of a car manufacturer selling a micro-car usually aimed at old age and disabled people. You'll be hard pressed to see one IRL but that said, someone in my apartment block actually has one instead of a normal car. No doubt he/she will use it for daily drives to work or the groceries in the city but will use public transport for longer trips, which is a very viable option here.
There are two more variations of the Citroen Ami by other car brands, the Opel Rocks-e and the Fiat Topolino, it is the same vehicule, but the Fiat looks nicer in my opinion.
these cars are a replacement for mopeds and other 49cc bikes for teens. They are quite cool but also super annoying because they are very slow and difficult to overtake on narrow roads, it's quite commun to be stuck in micro trafic jams because of these snails lmao
As many have already pointed out, it's street legal but this is technically not a car but a quadricycle, as the guy said in one of the videos (here in Finland "light four-wheeled vehicle" or colloquially "moped-car"). This means that you're not allowed to drive faster than 45 km/h (hence the low power and small engine) and you don't need a car driving licence for it. The rules vary in different European countries at what age you are allowed to drive these vehicles and if you need some kind of driving licence or not. In Finland you can drive these at the age of 15 and they require a driving licence for "moped-car" (class AM/121).
Not only is the Ami a 'car' that doesn't require a (full) license in the EU,
Imo it is a genius move by PSA at the time to tackle the EV problem for conventional car companies.
You see Tesla's philosophy was: start exclusive and then build them cheaper as you can start to scale up production etc...
and some (most) car companies have sort of followed the same method to transition, but the problem is that Tesla were so far ahead of everyone else you would have to play catch-up for years and years...
Citroen however, used this AMI as an excercise in their core strengths: thinking outside of the box and their greatest success so far has been the 2cv which tried to answer the question;" how can we bring cars to the masses in post world-war Europe?" A.k.a. the opposite of Tesla -> you start with the cheapest EV you can design, and you improve from there.
And despite not many individuals buying one afaik, they have been a success for car sharing companies in the bigger european cities because of the low barrier for being allowed to drive one, the tiniest amount of parking space needed, and the body parts being so cheap to replace that if something does happen it's not the end of your business
It's worth remembering that these days, Citroen is just a brand of Stellantis. They also make the same car badged as the Fiat Topolino and the Opel Rocks-e. They also own Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep & RAM, so maybe there'll be an American version. 😂
Fun fact. To reduce costs the front and back are the same. Just the lights in the panel are different
The point of this car is to have a fleet of them in big cities were space and pollution is problematic. Basically this is the warm and rain proof alternative to those rental mopeds you can get a subscription on in cities so you don't have to own a car yourself. They are not allowed on highways and stuff, they have a topspeed of 30mph
For the short you watched, if I recall well, the AMI was modified to go faster than normally permitted.
In the US the AMI would be classified as a NEV, so yes, pretty much a golf cart type of vehicle.
I haven't seen one IRL yet, but If I could I would get one.
There are some in the US, you should check AgingWheels video on the one he tried.
If you like quirky cars, there is the Renault Twizy. Some made it to the US under the Nissan brand, in a car sharing program in San Francisco. However I think I read that they were retired recently.
This quirky style is due to the parts being interchangeable, lowering their cost. The exact same panel forms the front and the back, the exact same door goes to the right and left sides, ...
Opel makes the exact same car named "Opel Rocks-E" both brands part of the stellantis car group.
If I'm correct it's considered a street car but only for cities or national roads. To enter a highway you need to be above 50 km/h (not sure in miles/h). So you can use it inside cities where 50 km/h is the max you can go or in national roads where the max is 80/90 km/h without a minimum velocity
It has a few things going for it.
Supercheap. Ideal for dense urbanized environnement (where you have everything in tops 50km),light, electric, easy access (no license needed, low price)
It fills the niche for the urban/periurban small car for a very competitiv price.
Ian, i don't know if you've done this yet, but you should check the worlds smallest, the p50. It's 130 cm long and 99 cm wide.
Opel has the ROCKS, same concept . Road legal , 45 Kilomers quick , legal to drive at 15 in the EU. Costs 8000 Euro or 49 Euro a month. 75 Kilometer Range