Citroën wants to seduce young people with its electric cart accessible from 14 years old
Launched commercially in the spring, Citroën’s MAI is really hitting the roads these days. Franceinfo has tried it.
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With the Covid epidemic, public transport is no longer really popular and not everyone can get on a bike or a scooter. It is on the basis of this observation that Citroën wants to place the AMI as an alternative, in particular intended for “millennials” (a generation bringing together all those born between the beginning of the 80s and the end of the 90s).
Smaller than a Smart but more reassuring than a scooter, thanks to its body, entirely in plastic, the AMI is presented by the French manufacturer as an “object of mobility”. It is a motor quadricycle, which can be driven, without a license, from the age of 14.
It stands out with a fairly square design (difficult to distinguish the rear from the front) and above all a 100% electric motor. So zero CO2 emissions, almost zero noise. 70 km of autonomy after three hours of charging on a simple electrical outlet. And a speed limited to 45 km / h. No question of taking the highway with or even the Parisian ring road.
Minimalist comfort
Inside, there is minimalist equipment: two seats, no trunk but storage compartments configurable according to your tastes, a panoramic roof but no air conditioning, neither car radio nor speakers. In short, the interior is spartan but nonetheless comfortable.
This vehicle is also very innovative in its design and manufacture. To save money, Citroën had the idea of creating an identical and interchangeable front and rear. Ditto for the two doors which, therefore, open in the opposite direction to each other. The vehicle consists of only 250 parts, which are easily replaceable.
Sold as a high-tech product
All this allows the manufacturer to offer this electric cart about half the price of equivalents with thermal engines, from 6,900 euros (less an ecological bonus of 900 euros). It is distributed as a high-tech product. It can be seen at Fnac and at Darty but it is sold only on the internet.
The AMI is also available for long-term rental (LLD) from around twenty euros per month (with a contribution of 2,600 euros). Finally, it can be hired by the hour from the operator Free2Move, but in this case, you must be 18 years old and have a driving license. The electric cart segment has already been explored by a few manufacturers, notably Renault with its Twizy, but at higher prices. We will see if Citroën manages to make it a mass market.
