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Citroën Ami (electric vehicle)

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"Opel Rocks-e" redirects here. For the small crossover, see Opel Adam Rocks.

Citroën Ami
Overview
ManufacturerPSA Group (2020–2021)
Stellantis (2021–present)
Also called
  • Opel Rocks-e (2021–2023)
  • Opel Rocks Electric (2023–present)
  • Fiat Topolino (2023–present)
Production2020–present
AssemblyMorocco: Kenitra (PSA Kenitra plant)
DesignerPierre Leclercq (Ami)
Centro Stile Fiat (Topolino)
Body and chassis
ClassQuadricycle
Body style2-door quadricycle
LayoutFront-motor, front-wheel-drive
Powertrain
Electric motor6 kW (8.2 PS; 8.0 hp) single motor
Battery5.5 kWh lithium-ion
Electric range75 km (47 mi) (WMTC)
Dimensions
Length2,410 mm (95 in)
Width1,390 mm (55 in)
Height1,520 mm (60 in)
Kerb weight425 kg (937 lb) (without battery)
485 kg (1,069 lb) (with 5.5 kWh battery)
Chronology
PredecessorCitroën C-Zero

The Citroën Ami is a two-door, battery-electric quadricycle marketed by the French marque Citroën since 2020. Designed by Pierre Leclercq and named after the model produced between 1961 and 1978, the production model was previewed by the "Ami One" concept car. Both the Ami and Ami One were developed simultaneously by Groupe PSA (now Stellantis) and Altran. The vehicle is manufactured at the facility in Kenitra, Morocco and is equipped with a compact electric motor located at the front, generating 6 kilowatts (8.0 hp; 8.2 PS) to drive the front wheels. The vehicle's diminutive size has been noted by car reviewers, with a journalist from The Telegraph describing being inside the Ami as "being inside a Lego brick".[1]

History

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The French carmaker Citroën debuted the Ami One, a concept car, at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2019.[2][3] It is named after the model produced between 1961 and 1978.[4] The doors are almost identical, with the driver's door being front-hinged and the passenger's door rear-hinged. This design choice was made to reduce costs by minimising the number of unique parts. The vehicle's front and rear bumpers are also made from the same components. A smartphone powers the information screen and provides audio to the car through the cylindrical Bluetooth speaker located to the right of the steering column. According to Jean-Arthur Madeleine, the Ami's interior designer, "the way to make it affordable was to avoid the redundancy of technology [...] everything is based on the idea that instead of having a lot of displays, everything is coming from your smartphone".[5]

The production version of the Ami was unveiled in February 2020.[6][7] Pierre Leclercq, the exterior designer of the Ami, revealed that the production vehicle and the concept car were developed simultaneously. He also noted that the Ami's design was not intended to be carried over into Citroën's wider model line.[8] Manufacture of the Ami, which began in June 2020,[9] occurs at the facility in Kenitra, Morocco.[10]

Overview

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It is a light motor quadricycle which can be driven in France without a license by people born before 1988 or by those older than 14 who have an AM license (EEA name)–formerly Road Safety Certificate (BSR) (national name). As a quadricycle it is limited to 45 km/h (28 mph).

The Ami can be used for carsharing in the Free2Move network of Groupe PSA, rented or purchased, on the internet or in stores Fnac and Darty with which Citroën has concluded a partnership for the exhibition, sale or rental of the vehicle[11] from 30 March 2020. The vehicle can be picked up at a store, a Citroën dealership or delivered at home.[12]

In June 2022, Citroën launched the My Ami Buggy, a limited edition (50) inspired by the My Ami Buggy concept.[13][14]

In May 2023, 1000 second generation Ami Buggy were produced for sale in Europe, Turkey and Morocco.[15]

In November 2023, the Ami Pop trim was released, which includes four alloy-look wheel trims, a black graphic strip under the windshield, black front and rear bumper sections, a rear spoiler and a set of door and quarter panels graphics.[16]

In May 2024, the Ami was refreshed with a new color (Night Sepia), as well as other small changes, such as the drive select buttons being moved to the dashboard below the hazards indicator and phone mount.

  • Rear View
    Rear View
  • Side View Night Sepia
    Side View Night Sepia
  • Citroën My Ami Buggy Concept
    Citroën My Ami Buggy Concept
  • Interior
    Interior

Opel Rocks-e

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In August 2021, Opel presented the Opel Rocks-e, an identical version of the vehicle for Germany only.[17] It went on sale in November 2021.[18] From 2023, it was renamed Opel Rocks Electric, in line with Opel's phasing out of the "-e" suffix on electric models.[19]

From 2022, the Opel Rocks Electric is offered on the Dutch market as well, where it is marketed with the Citroën model.[20][21][22]

  • Opel Rocks-e
    Opel Rocks-e
  • Rear view
    Rear view

Fiat Topolino

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The Fiat Topolino is a rebadged version of the Citroën Ami and Opel Rocks.[23] It is the only vehicle of the three that has a different front and back design. On the front it resembles the design of the original Fiat 500, and on the back it features vertical taillights.[24]

  • Fiat Topolino
    Fiat Topolino
  • Rear view
    Rear view

Technical characteristics

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To save costs, the body is completely symmetrical; not only left-right symmetrical, but also front-rear symmetrical, except for the doors and the roof. The doors open in opposite directions, with the driver having a suicide door while the passenger door opens conventionally, allowing the same panels to be used. There are no other doors, making the storage spaces accessible only from the two side doors. All versions are left-hand drive, even those intended for use in the otherwise right-hand drive UK.

The vehicle measures 2.41 m (7 ft 11 in) in length, 1.39 m (4 ft 7 in) (excluding mirrors) in width and 1.52 m (5 ft 0 in) in height. Its total weight including battery is 485 kg (1,069 lb).[25]

The quadricycle is equipped with a 6 kW electric motor operating at 48 V.[26] It accepts a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 5.5 kWh, rechargeable to 80% in three hours on a 230 V household outlet, giving it a maximum range of 75 km (47 mi) WMTC.[27]

Controversy

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Dispute with Italy

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In May 2024, Italian customs blocked a batch of 134 Fiat Topolinos at the port of Livorno, Tuscany. The model was reproached for having Italian flag stickers on the doors, even though it was manufactured in Kenitra, Morocco. An investigation was launched against Stellantis, Italy deeming the stickers to be a violation of the 2004 financial law, which defines as illegal "the marketing of products bearing false and misleading indications of provenance or origin". It was this same law that had been invoked 2 months earlier by the Italian government at the presentation of the Alfa Romeo Milano, named after the Italian city of Milan but manufactured in Poland, and which had led Stellantis to rename the model Alfa Romeo Junior.[28]

Stellantis justified itself by arguing that the company "operated in full compliance with the rules, transparently communicating the Topolino's country of production, without any intention of misleading consumers" and that "the sticker in question was intended solely to indicate the product's entrepreneurial origin. In fact, the design of the new Topolino, Fiat's historic car since 1936, was conceived and developed in Turin by a team of professionals from the Centro Stile Fiat of Stellantis Europe S.p.A., an Italian company. Moreover, since the presentation of the new model, the company has always made it clear that it is manufactured in Morocco".[28]

However, despite this statement, it should be pointed out that the Fiat Topolino is simply a redesigned version of the Citroën Ami, which was designed by subcontractor Altran, and not in Italy.[29]

Stellantis has agreed to remove the stickers in order to resolve the situation.[28]

References

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Notes

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Citations

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  1. ^ Markwell, Lisa (31 March 2024). "'Like being inside a Lego brick': my week driving Citroen's (very) tiny EV". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  2. ^ Golson, Daniel (21 February 2019). "The Citroën Ami One Concept is a tiny city car that doesn't require a license". Car and Driver. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  3. ^ Fidler, Matt (5 March 2019). "Geneva goes electric: 2019 Motor Show – in pictures". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  4. ^ Szymkowski, Sean (27 February 2020). "You can lease this adorable Citroen EV for $22 a month and let your 14-year-old drive". CNET. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  5. ^ Overland, Colin (6 March 2019). "Citroen Ami One concept: dinky concept is mobility problem solver". Car. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  6. ^ Porter, Jon (28 February 2020). "Citroën's tiny Ami electric car can be driven by 14-year olds for $22 a month". The Verge. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  7. ^ Valdes-Dapena, Peter (28 February 2020). "This tiny electric car looks like a washing machine and costs just $6,600". CNN Business. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  8. ^ Burgess, Rachel (30 June 2021). "Citroen UK boss: 90% chance of imminent Ami UK launch". Autocar. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  9. ^ Burns, Matt (27 February 2020). "Citroën introduces a two-seat EV that costs €19.99 a month". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  10. ^ Hayes 2021, p. 166.
  11. ^ Peden, Jean-Philippe (27 February 2020). "Citroën Ami (2020) : le quadricyle sans permis à petit prix". Auto Plus (in French).
  12. ^ Quintal, Hugo (27 February 2020). "Citroën AMI : la révolution de la mobilité électrique est-elle là ?". Turbo (in French).
  13. ^ "Citroën My Ami Buggy Sells Out In Just 18 Minutes". Carscoops. 22 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Citroën To Build Another 1,000 Ami Buggies After Original 50 Sold In 18 Minutes". Carscoops. 22 December 2022.
  15. ^ "Citroen My Ami Buggy 2 comes to UK beachsides in 2023". CAR Magazine. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  16. ^ Chilton, Chris (7 November 2023). "'Sporty' Citroen Ami Pop Gets New Nose And Graphics, But There's Nothing Sporty About 28 MPH". Carscoops.
  17. ^ Anderson, Brad (25 August 2021). "Opel Rocks-e Is A Rebadged Version Of The Tiny Citroën Ami EV". Carscoops.
  18. ^ Harloff, Thomas (2 November 2021). "Opel Rocks-E - Elektrokleinstwagen ab 7.990 Euro: Summ, summ, summ - Opel summ herum!". auto-motor-und-sport.de (in German). Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  19. ^
  20. ^ "Nieuwe Rocks Electric Kargo". Opel.
  21. ^ "Opel Rocks-e is coming to the Netherlands". Techzle. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  22. ^ "Citroën AMI 100% elektrisch rijden vanaf 16 jaar". Citroën Van Beek (in Dutch). Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  23. ^ "2023 Fiat Topolino EV Unveiled In Two Flavors, Starts At $10,770". InsideEVs. 5 July 2023.
  24. ^ Bell, Sebastien (4 July 2023). "Fiat Topolino Offers 47 Miles Of Range And A Top Speed Of 28 MPH To Drivers As Young As 14". Carscoops.
  25. ^ Sagar (2 March 2020). "Citroën AMI is for everyone, even for 14-year-olds". Autodevot. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  26. ^ Reisser, Sylvain (27 February 2020). "Citroën Ami, un minimum automobile sans permis". Le Figaro (in French).
  27. ^ Ducamp, Pauline (27 February 2020). "Citroën lance une petite voiture électrique à 6900 euros, l'Ami". BFM Business (in French).
  28. ^ a b c "Sequestrate le Fiat Topolino al porto di Livorno: "Non sono italiane"". la Repubblica (in Italian). 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  29. ^ "Altran sélectionné par le Groupe PSA pour une nouvelle solution de mobilité électrique urbaine". Boursier.com (in French). 17 December 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2024.

Books

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