With neat ratio and low top speed, Citroën Ami Electric microcars seem to be mostly at home in urban areas. However, the French automaker recently redesigned the Ami for a more extreme environment.
The Citroën My Ami Buggy concept doesn’t wear off-road jewelry to show that the Ami can be used as a holiday toy. The concept is equipped with thick tires (including a roof mount), LED light bars and headlights mounted on the headlights to influence the appearance.
Citroën My Ami Buggy concept
Citroën also removed the doors, using some of the remaining space for the containers. The seats have thicker cushions with memory foam and Citroën has included a luggage set that matches the bright yellow of the upholstery.
No mechanical changes were mentioned, so the Ami’s 28 mph top speed may not change. That, coupled with the car’s small size, means it’s not considered a car under European Union regulations. Technically, it is a “tricycle” and can be driven without a license by 14-year-olds in France and 16-year-olds in other European countries, Citroën said at the launch of the Ami in 2020.
At the time, Citroën said the Ami would be available to rent for the equivalent of $23 a month for 48 months (with a $2,900 down payment). The automaker has also announced plans bring Ami to the United States through the Free2Move mobile service, owned by Citroën’s parent company Stellantis.
Citroën My Ami Buggy concept
Citroën is getting very innovative with electric vehicles for Europe, and we expect some of that to migrate to other Stellantis brands.
Much of that creativity comes from creative references to the brand’s past. The Ami borrows its name from a 1970s Citroën model that, like the current EV, is essentially as four-wheel-drive as can be. In 2016, Citroën launched e-Mehari . open-air utility vehicle, inspired by the 1968 Mehari, combines mechanical components from the Citroën 2CV with a minimalist bodywork made of ABS.
Both the e-Mehari and the My Ami Buggy concept share the same spirit that Volkswagen expressed with Concept ID.Buggy, an homage to the classic Meyers Manx underpinned by VW’s MEB dedicated EV platform. We’d love to see more vehicles like this in production and break through the seemingly endless parade of stylish electric crossovers.
