Citroen pushes into niche where Renault flopped

How do you market a car that isn’t actually a car? That’s the question for PSA Group, which has just introduced the Citroen Ami, an electric quadricycle intended mostly for urban use. It can be piloted by drivers as young as 14 without a full license.

Other companies, notably Renault with the Twizy, have tried to sell quadricycles, with mixed success. Renault registered just 2 Twizys last year in Europe, and 1,817 overall, mostly in South Korea, where it is now made.

Citroen is betting that increasing emissions regulations mean that the timing is right for the Ami, which undercuts not only the Twizy but even a lot of larger-displacement scooters with a price of 6,990 euros (exclusive of any EV incentive, which in France is 900 euros).