[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-citroen-ami-is-somehow-a-real-car\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-citroen-ami-is-somehow-a-real-car\/","headline":"The Citroen Ami Is Somehow A Real Car","name":"The Citroen Ami Is Somehow A Real Car","description":"The Ami doesn\u2019t require a driving license, can be driven by a 14-year-old and has a whopping 8 horsepower! Citroen describes this odd little thing as \u2018non-conformist\u2019 and we\u2019re wondering what made them say that. Is it the fact that this car doesn\u2019t require a driving license? Or that 14-year olds can drive one? Or how it only costs \u20ac19.99 per month? The Citroen Ami is, in fact, non-conformist in almost every way. This tiny all-electric two-seater is designed as […]","datePublished":"2020-03-27","dateModified":"2020-04-14","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/#Person","name":"Matthew Collett","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/","identifier":5,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/The-Citroen-Ami-Is-Somehow-A-Real-Car-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/The-Citroen-Ami-Is-Somehow-A-Real-Car-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-citroen-ami-is-somehow-a-real-car\/","about":["Cars","Citroen","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":855,"keywords":["Ami","Citeron","Citeron Ami"],"articleBody":"The Ami doesn\u2019t require a driving license, can be driven by a 14-year-old and has a whopping 8 horsepower!Citroen describes this odd little thing as \u2018non-conformist\u2019 and we\u2019re wondering what made them say that. Is it the fact that this car doesn\u2019t require a driving license? Or that 14-year olds can drive one? Or how it only costs \u20ac19.99 per month?The Citroen Ami is, in fact, non-conformist in almost every way. This tiny all-electric two-seater is designed as a solution to the problem that the EV market is still facing today and that is the price problem. Although electric cars are much cheaper in the long run thanks to minimal running costs, they are still too expensive to buy for most young people. Even the popular non-luxury options such as the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe still cost far too much for a lot of people who don\u2019t want to spend a lot on their car.The Citroen Ami takes full advantage of France\u2019s vehicle classes and regulations because the Ami is actually classed as a light quadricycle. In France, quadricycles do not require a driving license to operate them on the road but instead, require a safety certificate. The minimum age requirement is just 14 years of age. The Citroen Ami is mainly designed to offer extremely cheap mobility for those living in French cities such as Paris. Not only will it be ridiculously cheap, \u20ac19.99\/month rental or \u20ac0.26\/minute via car-sharing app Free2Move, but also fully electric (with a range of 43 miles) meaning it will help keep city air clean and breathable. Now, let\u2019s talk about the car itself because it may sound interesting on paper but it\u2019s even more interesting once you start to look at it. Now, if you\u2019re a Citroen fan you will probably know that this isn\u2019t the first Ami. The original Ami (which is the French word for \u2018friend) was produced between 1961 and 1978 and was a very successful economy family saloon.This new Ami only seats two, only has 8 horsepower and has atop speed of just 28 mph but it makes up for it all in style. Getting into the car is where the first spectacle is seen as you\u2019ll notice that one of the doors is conventionally hinged at the front, whereas the other is rear-hinged like a suicide door. What other car exists that has an odd pair of doors that don\u2019t match?!On the inside of the doors there is a belt strap in place of an ordinary door handle, similar to what you would find in some track-oriented supercars such as the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. The interior is very basic, as you would imagine, but still manages to look more quirky then it does cheap. The only real luxury is the fixed sunroof, which is sure to make the tiny car feel more open. After that, you\u2019ll find that there\u2019s no radio, no aircon, no bluetooth and a window that can only be partially opened. The benefit of this car is that it\u2019s very cheap (can bebought outright for \u20ac6000) and offers more safety and protection from theelements than a moped or a Renault Twizzy. Like a car, it\u2019s fully enclosed andeven has heating, so you don\u2019t have to worry about getting wet or cold.Behind the steering wheel lies a little crater that the designers have included to essentially suggest to owners that if they want music, they\u2019ll have to bring their own speaker and put it in this little dish, as perfectly illustrated by their press release photo. Following in the \u2018do it yourself\u2019 theme, in place of acentre console is a grip to hold your phone. Citroen have really done all theycan to bring the cost of this microcar down as low as possible in order to makeit available to as many people as they can. All in all, the interior isn\u2019t really where this car shines. On the other hand, Citroen have pulled out all the stops to make this car truly eye-catching. Several designs are available, with our favourite one having the most ironic spoiler in the history of automobiles (considering it sits upon a car with a top speed of under 30 mph!).Another design features a cool topographical graphic and a roof rack, giving the car a robust and more rugged look.There\u2019s no denying that this car is cool. We would havedefinitely put it on our list of cars that will make you stand out if it wasavailable to buy in the UK. The painted wheels, the satin paint finish, thevinyl stripes and graphics, the circular moped-style mirrors, the weird\u2018Airbump\u2019 inserts on the side – it all comes together to make a truly uniqueand bizarre, but stunning, display. Let us know what you think of this tiny wonder and if youwould buy one if you could!If you enjoyed this, you may also enjoy reading about how the majority of people asked agreed that \u2018p\u2019 platesshould be mandatory."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Citroen Ami Is Somehow A Real Car","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/the-citroen-ami-is-somehow-a-real-car\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]