Citroen Ami

Citroën Ami at a glance

Concept and launch

The Ami One Concept was shown in Geneva in March 2019. The production model was presented on 27 February 2020 at the Paris La Défense Arena, and French sales started in June 2020. In the UK and Germany it is ordered online, with delivery to the home or collection from a partner dealer.

Later markets followed: Italy, Spain, Belgium, Portugal and the UK, where all cars are left-hand drive. Germany came last. After several delays, orders opened in June 2024 and deliveries began at the end of August.

What the Ami is: a quadricycle, not a car

The Ami is approved in the EU as a light quadricycle. That class has a speed limit of 45 km/h and a weight limit of 425 kg, which the Ami meets at 416 kg without its battery. Its motor stays within the 6 kW limit of the L6e-BP subclass for passenger transport.

The licence rules make the car interesting for young drivers. In France it can be driven from age 14 with the AM licence, which includes seven hours of practical training. People born before 1988 need no licence at all there. In Germany the AM licence is enough, so 15-year-olds can drive it. In France the Ami also sits in the lowest tax band, 1 CV.

Parkers stresses the limits that come with the class. There is no airbag, no emergency braking and no lane-keeping aid. The Ami may not use motorways, and 45 km/h feels slow on faster roads.

Battery, range and charging

The lithium-ion battery stores 5.5 kWh, according to German Wikipedia and UK tests. French Wikipedia gives 5.8 kWh for the 48-volt pack supplied by E4V, and names Valeo as the motor supplier. The official range is about 75 km, and Opel's EU certificate of conformity lists a consumption of 8 kWh per 100 km.

Rapid charging is not offered. The built-in cable plugs into an ordinary 230-volt household socket. A full charge takes about three hours according to Parkers and French Wikipedia, or about four hours according to German Wikipedia. A Type 2 adaptor is supplied for wallboxes and public AC posts. With such a small battery, the fuel cost calculator shows how little a full charge costs at local electricity prices.

Versions, special editions and twins

• My Ami Cargo: the passenger seat is replaced by a partition, giving a 260-litre load area reached through the right door. Total capacity is 400 litres and the payload 140 kg.
• Colour packs, Pop and Vibe: orange, blue or grey trim packs, roof rails and decals; Parkers notes that packs can add up to 20 % to the price.
• My Ami Buggy: a doorless concept shown in December 2021. A first run of 50 cars at €9,790 sold out in 17 minutes and 28 seconds in June 2022, and 1,000 more were sold from 2023.
• Opel Rocks-e: presented in August 2021 and on sale from November 2021, identical apart from colours and badges.
• Fiat Topolino: shown in June 2023 and sold in Italy from September 2023, with its own front and rear styling.

The 2024 update

An updated Ami was unveiled at the 2024 Mondial de l'Auto in Paris, with sales planned from 2025. The body has more pronounced surfaces, and the positions of the headlights and the lower lamps were swapped. Since February 2025 the firm Caselani Automobili has offered body kits that make the Ami look like a small Citroën Type H van.

Driving the Ami: what reviewers found

Parkers praised the Ami as fun, drier and safer than a moped, light and easy to place in narrow streets. It accelerates briskly enough to surprise bigger cars when pulling away in town. The cabin has proper glass windows, an oddments tray and door bins. Criticism centred on the class: thin seats, no power steering, a harsh ride on cobbles, hard plastics and little sound deadening. There is no radio as standard.

Sales and prices

The Ami found buyers quickly. In 2021, 5,949 were registered in France, 22.2 % of the French quadricycle market. By July 2022 orders exceeded 23,000, including more than 13,300 in France and 6,700 in Italy. In May 2024 Citroën said it had passed 50,000 customers.

The 2024 German list price of €7,990 is low compared with the €9,790 asked for the first Buggy run in 2022.

Who should buy the Ami

• Teenagers and new drivers: the AM licence makes it a covered, two-seat alternative to a scooter.
• City commuters: short daily trips under 75 km, parking on narrow streets and charging at home.
• Delivery and service fleets: the Cargo version carries 140 kg in town, about 30 % of the car's own 471 kg.
• Not for: motorway drivers, families or anyone who needs crash-test-rated safety equipment; a small car such as the Smart Fortwo is a different category.

Other battery-powered models are in our electric cars section, and Citroën's full range is in the Citroën catalogue.