Citroën has debuted its new electric car that is so small that it doesn’t require a driver’s license–at least in Europe. All that is required is that you are 14 years old in France or 16 in other European countries. But the real kicker is that your average teenager will also be able to afford the car as it will only run you $22 a month.
And what’s better for parents is that the Ami can only hit 44 miles on a single charge of the 5.5kWh battery that runs along the underside of the floor. I’m a sucker for these small cars and while it probably won’t ever hit America, the idea of these vehicles makes a lot of sense in large cities.
I’ve lived in Los Angeles and travel to New York and other major cities fairly regularly. I don’t even own a car, and haven’t for the past several years, mostly because everything is near me and Uber/Lyft covers me on work assignments. Something like the Ami is perfect to allow me to travel town freely without sacrificing a ton of cash on a car that will sit in a parking spot most of its life.
Buying the car outright will only hit you in your pocket for $6,600. The $22 a month applies to a long-term rental of two years after plopping down around $2,000. Europe also has a nice ride lending service that allows you to rent an Ami for about $0.30 a minute to see how much you like it.
American’s love their huge cars (myself included) and have the luxury of lots of open space and easy access to travel freely. So while the Ami, and cars like it, won’t make a huge dent in the market for simple logistical reasons but there is a growing desire for electric cars and small vehicles in cities that are becoming more and more crowded. Hell, I moved out of Los Angeles because of the driving situation.
And now here I am thinking about importing this silly little EV. What do you think?
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