It is in the largest performance hall in Europe - Paris La Défense Aréna - that Citroën has just presented the smallest car on the market. Barely 2.41 meters long. Nine centimeters less than the first Smart fortwo born more than 20 years ago. Outside, as for the concert of a rock star, the portraits of the managers of the brand parade on a giant screen. We had never seen that. This is not the case for the vehicle presented, which is part of a vast individual and shared urban mobility project. Through its program, Citroën believes it has found a relevant response to preserve mobility in the context of reducing polluting emissions, congestion in the city center and reducing traffic lanes. To tell the truth, the chevron manufacturer wants to succeed where Smart with Car2go then Renault with the Twizy and Autolib have failed. Since then, mentalities have changed and are now ready to use self-service vehicles. To have.
The instrumentation of the Citroën Ami is reduced to the essentials. Bluche Nicolas (273)
Like the Twizy, the Citroën Ami meets the “light” quadricycle category thanks to its 6 kW electric motor not exceeding 45 km / h. This Citroën of a new kind is therefore accessible without a driving license, from 14 years old. On the sole condition of having passed the road safety certificate, compulsory for people born after 1987. Let us hope that this democratization does not lead to a degradation of road safety. One thinks in particular of the use of the smartphone which adolescents abuse.
L'Ami is only available in one color, mauve gray, rather tasteless. Citroën
The main strength of the Citroën Ami is to have sought to simplify access to mobility for the greatest number. This is how, thanks to its pocket size, the Friend parks along the sidewalk or perpendicular to it. Recharging the 5.5 kWh battery installed in the floor does not require any special installation. A simple domestic plug is enough to recover recharge the batteries in 3 hours.
The Citroën Ami derives from the Ami One concept presented last year. Citroën
Anxious to adapt to the needs of the greatest number, Citroën offers several à la carte formulas. Through its subsidiary Free to Move, the Friend will be available in self-service from € 0.26 / minute, the same price as an electric scooter. Provided you have subscribed to the service (€ 9.90 for 1 month without commitment). For barely 19.99 euros per month, not even the price of subscribing a smartphone to a telephone operator, it is also possible to sign a long-term rental contract. Finally, for 6,000 euros, deduction of a bonus of 900 euros allocated to light quadricycles, you can become the owner of the Friend.
But for the charm to really work, it lacks the "wow" effect. By passing under the yoke of the constraints of the series, the Lilliputienne of the market lost the freshness of the concept Ami One which served as inspiration. L'Ami has lost the trendy and playful side of the study, to the point of appearing dated. In a logic of cost reduction, the front and rear sides and the rocker panels are identical. Just like the two doors, which induces an opposite direction of opening. As in the concept, that of the driver opens antagonistically to facilitate access on board. As for the side windows, they are semi-swinging on the same principle as those of the 2CV.
Finally, the revolution continues with new distribution methods. If it will still be possible to buy the Friend in the manufacturer's network, Citroën has planned that you can configure and buy your car online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without moving from your sofa. As part of an agreement, the Fnac and Darty stores will also offer Friend.
