Why the Citroen Ami is no 'friend' to Italian city dwellers

The Citroen Ami -- a tiny, practical and affordable mode of transportation for large metropolitan areas – has a major flaw in Italy. Unless you buy a Type 2 or Type 3A cable connector from a third party (Citroen does not offer it, even as an option), the vehicle can only be charged using a 220-volt plug typically found in a home.

That made it impossible for me, a resident of Milan, to recharge the car, whose name means “friend” in French. The Ami would not be a friend to many other city dwellers like me in a country where the majority of public charging points offer Type 2 outlets.

What is strange is that the Ami’s main rival, the Renault Twizy, offers a 3A cable as standard, with a 220-volt connector as an option. That makes it possible to re-energize the Twizy at a public charge point with a 3A plug or at home.

In Italy it is illegal to use an adapter or a separate cable to convert a public charging point plug to a different specification to fit your car. Your car’s plug has to match what is offered by the charging station.

The Ami, which is classified as a quadricycle, has a top speed of 45 kph and is not allowed on the highway. On the positive side, the minimum driving age is 14 years old -- as long as the person has a motorcycle driver’s license.

The Ami, which has a 70 km range, is powered by a 6-kilowatt electric motor. The powertrain does well in city traffic, keeping up with other cars at speeds up to 30 kph because it weighs just 471 kg.

The interior is basic, with hard plastic (albeit in some bright colors) and a tiny display that provides only the most essential information.

The Ami has no assisted braking and no power steering, so it takes some physical effort to make a turn.

Front visibility is good, but the lack of a central rearview mirror is a problem. The Ami’s sideview mirrors are a bit undersized in city driving.

In March 2021 Stellantis Carlos Tavares said that Citroen’s parent “is making money out of the Ami project.” He praised the Ami as a safe, clean, inexpensive clean mobility device.

Currently the Ami is offered in France for a monthly payment of 19.99 euros (for 48 months) after a 3,700 euro down payment. In Italy the Ami costs 50 euros a month payment after an initial down payment of 638 euros.

The Ami starts at 5,108 euros in Italy if the government’s eco-bonus is applied, which happens when the customer scraps an old car. Without scrapping it costs 5,731 euros.