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Citroën's new EV is a tiny two-seater that only costs $22 a month
You don't need a license to drive the Citroën Ami.
Citroën has launched a new electric vehicle that's a tiny car and an enclosed scooter at the same time. It's called the "Ami," a two-seater vehicle made for city transportation that's so small, it doesn't even require a license. That is, so long as you're at least 14 years old in France or 16 in other European countries. The automaker seems to have based it on the Ami One Concept it unveiled in 2019 with a few changes to its final design.
It has a 5.5kWh battery under the floor that can run for 44 miles on a single charge -- you can simply plug the EV into any standard 220v outlet and wait three hours to fill its battery. You can also only drive up to 28 mph. Yes, you can't replicate Fast and Furious stunts with it, and it doesn't have a lot of range, but the Ami was designed for city driving and narrow streets anyway.
Citroën has various purchasing options to choose from if you're interested. You can pay €20 (US$22) per month for a long-term rental of two years if you make an initial payment of €2,644 ($2,900), though you can also buy one outright for €6,000 ($6,600). In case you want to try it out first before buying, you'd also be able to rent one from the Free2Move car-sharing service in Europe for €0.26 (29 cents) per minute. Citroën will start accepting orders for the Ami on March 30th in France, followed by Spain, Italy, Belgium, Portugal and Germany a few months later. The first deliveries are expected to arrive to French buyers in June.
