Citroen's tiny EV concept is an alternative to bikes and scooters
The Ami One wouldn't even need a driver's license in some places.
Many automakers are designing vehicles for an era beyond car ownership, but Citroen is taking things one step further: it's envisioning a car that you'd use in place of bikes and scooters. Its newly introduced Ami One Concept is a compact (8.2ft long), all-electric "urban mobility object" that you'd use for short hops around downtown areas. The two-seater would have just a 62-mile range and a 28MPH top speed, but it would be easy to access and drive with a QR code on the handle replacing a key. You wouldn't even need a driver's license in some countries, Citroen said.
Not surprisingly, services would play a vital role. You could use it for as little as five minutes through a carsharing app, rent it for a weekend, pay for a few months of "commitment-free" access or, if you're enraptured with it, sign up for a multi-year subscription with battery power, maintenance and parking included. You could extend your use for longer intervals through an app, and Ami One Counters would provide access to cars and even serve as automatic distributors -- they wouldn't be car dispensers, but they might come close.
Inside, you'd find wireless charging for your phone, a 5-inch screen for an instrument cluster and a simple interface with voice control. A Bluetooth speaker would replace the conventional stereo system.
The "concept" in the name makes clear that you probably won't see this exact vehicle roaming the streets any time soon. As it is, the Ami One would have a harder time in North America and other regions where many people live outside of downtown cores. However, it does illustrate what Citroen is likely to do in the future. The French firm envisions a world where you can preserve the creature comforts of a car (like personalized routes and a roof over your head) no matter how short your trip might be.
