CITROEN AMI REVIEW- IS IT WORTH IT?A SMALL CHEAP ELECTRIC CAR WITH A BIG FUTURE?

[@davidbell2398]

Believe it or not I owned an original Ami, back in the day. Quirky looks, but suspension like riding on a cloud. Acceleration measured in hours, though. Great review, very informative. Yes no looker but will be seen all over Europe, soon. Think moped , with a roof. Keep up good work, J.

[@toyotaprius79]

The Ami/2CV suspension is sorely missed. But Citroen is at least trying to return to what they do best and not play into the market arms race with other manufacturers

[@PA28Ace]

Yes will be seen all over Europe, mainly parked up at charging stations

[@stumpusMaximus]

South France has about 50,000 small EVs (14 year olds can drive them without a license) and they are accepted because roads,infrastructure , weather is perfect for them. Here? Not a hope in hell with the state of the roads and the speeds, plus serious lack of charging *everywhere*. Just because you have local, the country doesn’t. Besides, again, in France they get the first hour *FREE*. You’d need to keep it locked up in a secure garage because it’s plastic- no security at all. Plus some local idiot will set it on fire! Stolen in the first night on the street…… You’ll never get your silly money back either because it will take years to drive a mileage to make it worth it. I mean it’s a quadricycle, not even a car. Insurance costs please? My NIU EV moped (30mph) costs more to insure than our car, I’ve been driving for 30 years. It’s even kept in the house because it’s electric. Just gimmicks

[@robertj605]

The answer is yes! At least for a retired old couple living in western France. Ordered an Ami Tonic a week ago at €8,990 less €900 rebate from the government. Delivery May 2023 😢. It will just plug into a standard power socket at home. Personally we think Citroen is missing an alternative market to the younger audience, namely, older people who just want to pop out locally and run a vehicle cheaply. We calculate a cost of €1.2 to charge up overnight. That is €0.02 per km.🤨

[@antoniolujanrambal3868]

7.790€ in Spain and no need of driving licence. Good information.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Thanks for watching👍

[@mecanomy]

One of its most beautiful features is that it can work with 48 volts. It can be charged with a solar panel of suitable amperage. It can be charged with a generator of suitable power and size. here is the most important: Let's say the lithium-ion battery is broken and you can't replace it because it's too expensive.. (users will experience this sooner or later) If your 48-volt lithium-ion batteries cannot give you the same performance as before, or if they are broken, do not worry. Place a 48 volt, high amperage "deep cycle" gel battery in the battery box. your car will be a little heavier, but it will not leave you on the straight road.. you will continue to use it..

[@dlittlester]

I'm retired, and travel less than 5,000 km a year, so for over 90% of my travel, this would work. I would have to keep my older Hyundai for other trips, however. Now, can I afford to insure both?

[@oldmanonamotorbikeinbucks7604]

might have been worth a look at £6K, but at the actual £9K no chance, to many bargains in the Used Petrol Car market.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

I think this is what a lot of people are thinking. It was marketed at 6k and then with the difference it’s starting to look expensive.

[@parkview113]

Had one on order for year now since first expression of interest .... it’s by no means cheap but was impressed by solidity when saw it at dealers. Moves in electricity pricing are a consideration - suddenly x 3 more expensive to fuel than 12 months ago ... have invested in powerbanks and 400w solar panel to mitigate ... (at a cost ) ! Overall think it’ll be great

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Thanks for watching and it is tempting if your can handle the limitations.

[@parkview113]

@@ISITWORTHITUK yup. no regrets 4 months of ownership

[@zkj8237]

@williamkerr how much have you invested in the solar panel and power banks? Trying to figure out if I 've got enough budget for the whole lot.

[@Giles.]

Easily the wackiest modern car I've ever seen 😂 great review 👏🏼

[@STho205]

You're initial logic on the panels make no practical sense. You crash the front you can take the panel off the back....great, but now you're missing a back panel. You crash the drivers door, take the passenger door and I guess your passenger now gets a breezy experience. The purpose it to minimize molds for the coachwork (if you can call Barbies Isetta coachwork) which helps the factory, not you....it may give you more options when they're all in a scrapyard in three years and you're hanging onto yours with wire and tape.

[@zkj8237]

So my question is maybe can we buy it in France then drive it to the UK, as it's left side driving on UK models anyways? Better cost wise? Apart it there are new taxes added when crossing borders?

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

It would be cheaper to buy abroad however I’m not sure on the tax charges when crossing boarders. I’m guessing they would crack down on it some how but might depend on residency etc.

[@philippeplouchart8156]

Will this ride better with wider tires?

[@Rylee.Barnard]

Was this filmed in Blackburn

[@asc24hoth]

Nice video, positively delivered, I liked that you did a hill climb test.i didn't get to do that on the test drive I had and i havent seen many who have. The car u r testing is in excess of 8k tho, its not the most basic version and it defo doesn't have air con, none of them do...it has a button that, when u press it, sounds like a toy hair dryer. That said is it worth it? It depends on your own circumstances and what compromise u could live with to make it useful to u. I have ordered one in the bare bones £7695 guise...no wheel trims, no mats no shopping bag hook and no door nets but...despite its shortcomings its quirky enough as u quite rightly said to make u smile while u drive it...what price do u put on that? Thanks again for an all round good effort (graphics were good too)on showing us your view on the 'urban mobility solution' by citroen.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Thanks for watching and for your comments. Yes it’s a shame when imported into the uk the prices hike but that’s standard across the board for the uk 🇬🇧 😔 I’m glad you ordered one and think the bare trim is best as costs start for rise otherwise.

[@trev8932]

I'd have one tomorrow. Great for round town and local running, dont think the wife would like it though.

[@CarsofGlasgow]

great video, I love the design details that Citroen put into this. The only worrying thing from a Scottish is that the underside isn't weatherproofed. I worry rust will affect these quicker...

[@parkview113]

just get it tustproofed at yr local garage. I did. cheap and will repeat annually

[@zkj8237]

@williamkerr how much did it cost?

[@parkview113]

@@zkj8237 rustproofing £60 I think. will get it redone every year...

[@BillyNoMates1974]

The moment an ecu upgrade can be perfoemed to remove the top speed restriction, these will sell like hot cakes

[@mbak7801]

Then it would be illegal as it would be in a different tax class and the insurance would be void. Hit a pedestrian and you could end up paying their medical bills for life. Own a house and that would have to be sold to help pay for it. Small actions can and do have massive consequences.

[@thorbjrnhellehaven5766]

I want one! Just have to wait a few years for an excuse to have a second vehicle for the household.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Thanks for watching👍

[@mauricehunt6615]

It was very informative

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Thank you for watching and glad you found it informative.

[@yettsoman4364]

Does the pasenger seat come out easily? Need to carry a big German Shepherd!🐈

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

No the passenger seats can’t be removed you would have to get the Ami cargo edition. To be honest you should be able to fit the dog in the front no problem.

[@steverobsondiecast]

I did a matchbox casting using two of them to create four seater mini limo. It is a work in process. How it would work in full size is a good question. I like it and it is different. As for the real car i like it. Being in canada i have a feeling it could not be used.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Sounds awesome, a lot have tried to upgrade or replace the battery for better speed and range. If you have any pictures of your AMI LIMO please send a link here or to [e-mail]

[@owdoco5657]

Product Knowledge ! This vehicle as no air con

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

We are aware of this. Thanks 👍

[@Episcopalianacolyte]

The concept looks much more advanced and better than what you have.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

We agree the concept looked amazing

[@susannahallanic1167]

I want to be clear about a 14yo not needing or anyone not needing a French driver's license to drive a monAMI. That is ONLY partially true. In order for anyone to drive a monAMI, they must have a BSR or proof of a driver's permit/license from another country IF the driver was born before 1984. A birthdate of 1984 or after is not an option; a BSR is mandatory: "To validate the theoretical training of the BSR (category AM), you must obtain the school certificate of road safety (ASSR) of 1st or 2nd level or the certificate of road safety (ASR)". The BSR requires a course about 8 hours in length that will cost between 150€ - 450€. They must also be able to prove the vehicle is properly insured, just as when you drive a moped. So, NO, a driver's license is not required, BUT the driver must have a date of birth prior to 1984.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Thanks for watching and informing us with this👍

[@frankandersen3195]

I like it. Could be funny to cross the design with that of a Twizy. Total French😁

[@MrDLYouTube]

It's cute, but honestly I'd rather pay more for a better built and more features, like an actual boot. For example Aixam make outstanding moped cars, and also have electric. However, the target they have with these is rentals. Just have them around just like how electric scooters are found all over today. So I think they will be perfect for that. But for personal ownership I'd buy more expensive.

[@ccooper8785]

I seem to recall that Smart trumpeted the same BS regarding easily swapable plastic body panels. It did not work in the real world. Like the Fourtwo this is a great 2nd vehicle but is way too expensive.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

The cost of the Ami in the UK isn’t what we were expecting especially when first announced and taking into account the currency rate difference from euro to GBP. It’s more expensive here than abroad.

[@TJB567]

Good to get people's views on the looks.

[@ianhamer4494]

Hi like the vid, but the Ami has no air con, just a fan, air con would just suck the battery.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Absolutely correct thanks for pointing this out 👍

[@ianhamer4494]

@@ISITWORTHITUK Nice drive around Blackburn, was it on a Saturday you did the test drive?

[@genx156]

The concept car always looks much better & more expensive 🤣🤣

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

We hope they release the OLI. More range , better top speed.

[@genx156]

@@ISITWORTHITUK I know nothing about an Oli - off to do some research 👍

[@davidmarshall5596]

Great review of what is a quirky car 🚗 😁👍but for everyday use I'm not sure 🤔 in summer it will be roasting like being in a greenhouse...in winter condensation & when its cold i van see it being bloody cold 🥶..in spring & autumn you will probably get the best out of it...I think once the novelty wears off it will be back to a 'normal car 🚗

[@greendsnow]

it's fine for the city, safer than motobikes

[@kerbsidemotors9249]

Waiting for the motorcycle engine conversion

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

It needs more power

[@Larry]

I did pre-order one as soon as they went up, but I was concerned about it's top speed, people tailgaiting me in it, and how cold it'll be in the winter. So, I ended up getting three year old Smart Electric, which was only £3000 more than what the version I wanted of the Ami would have cost. That and I also own a Twizy, so have my fair share of "fun" cars :P

[@Larry]

@@ISITWORTHITUK I did indeed. They're quite reasonable used.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

@@Larry plus you haven’t got the limitations of the AMI. Another car to look at would be VW UP electric but funny VW don’t make this anymore?

[@Larry]

@@ISITWORTHITUK Yeah, only downside is their max range is 74 miles in eco mode, But I'll have to look into the Up, I'm honestly surprised VW hasn't announced an Electric Beetle, that would have been perfect for their "quirky" EV model.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

@@Larry I can’t believe it either they are definitely missing a trick. They discontinued the Beetle which I think was due to sales. And they are reaching out now to pure electric consumers with a net zero target etc with their new ID range. But they could of kept the beetle or re-new it for the electric beetles. BMW tried it with the Mini Cooper electric but as we know far to big to be called a mini. The Honda E could of been perfect but price and range was always an issue.

[@parkview113]

Yeah. good choice with the Smart...

[@georgeh9967]

Better than walking. But why does it have to looks so .( for quirky read stupid.) maybe if it did 35/40 mph. at 28 mph NO

[@tonysimister4825]

28 mph to fit French legislation - you can drive it at 14 with no licence.

[@mulberrybushfilmfan]

Wheelie bin mk 2. Because life didn't work out as planned lol

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

It’s very close 😂

[@somo3585]

If your doing a review make sure you get the price right at least cheapest over £7500

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Hi, thanks for watching. Updated UK prices are shown in the description and links in the video. We admit it’s not very clear but instead of changing the whole video we have left cards at the beginning. 👍 Thanks

[@randompotatoguy9347]

looks like one of those kiddie car lol.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

😂 👍

[@captricharddee3634]

£7697, £99 per month.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Yes it depends on your upfront deposit to enable £20 per month.

[@merseydave1]

It Is NOT £20 a Month Now !!!

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

This depends on the deposit but whats it coming out as now?

[@merseydave1]

@@ISITWORTHITUK Wrong Wrong Wrong they stopped it in March this year

[@andrewbarnes1295]

Didn't realise these had air conditioning.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Hi Andrew, thanks for watching. All the Ami has is just a fan assisted heater I’m afraid. No air conditioning. Apologise for this being confusing 👍

[@andrewbarnes1295]

@@ISITWORTHITUK Great review! I think the top speed would be a bit restrictive even for a city car.

[@STho205]

This appears to be a 4 wheel Robin Reliant all over again. Guess the middle class of France and UK were just getting a bit to POSH with their 4 door sport saloon/sedans....must again learn their place. This is really just an extra car...so another manufactured thing you have to buy, store and maintain...or buy for your kids to get into trouble with. If you need a car to go anywhere but city work...you'll need another car. Deck chair arranging on the Titanic....when it comes to ecology. Basically a 2025 emergency compliance car for Citroën's line. See we have one. With poly glass everywhere the things a sauna in summer without compressed AC. I can only imagine the discomfort in Spain, Italy or Florida.

[@joshuaparr3279]

Not even worth it. Work it out on their 48 month deal and come back to me and tell me that a normal ICE car is more expensive to run :)

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Thanks for watching and commenting Josh. Very valid points. Just out of curiosity what did you end up going for? Maybe the Citroen OLI hopefully released soon will make up for the limitation of the AMI.

[@joshuaparr3279]

@@ISITWORTHITUK I run a used ICE car, which gets average MPG. I've seen the OLI and hopefully, it will break the trend of high cost for once when it comes to electric vehicles. AMI is a good concept, but their pricing is out of touch for what you get and the limitation of the AMI.

[@DroneHDTV]

46 mile range hmm?

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Up-to 46mile range but depends how you drive.

[@STho205]

Not uphill...that's for sure. 8hp at that mass with 4 wheels couldn't even make it up my driveway.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

@@STho205 Yes it was a struggle 😂

[@STho205]

@@ISITWORTHITUK in hilly areas like Northern England that range is likely 20mi or less. Even if it had regen brakes, coasting downhill would save more power than this little box mass converting gravity to battery voltage through motor braking. In San Fancisco, or northern Italy, Switzerland, North Spain or the French borderlands it wouldn't work at all. This is a single purpose 8000€ gocart for Paris, London or a flat terrain village if you live in the village and don't go far....ever. Seems like all that can be accomplished more carbon efficiently with a bus, tram or existing light rail for those situations.

[@stjohnssoup]

It’s not £6000

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Prices have updated and changed since the video launched and I’ve included the link to Citroen for up to date pricing.

[@stevenharrison3715]

Not a looker

[@simongrieves3771]

Ridiculous car 😂

[@olegknowsbest4971]

Aircon????

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

No Oleg apologise for this, we wish it did have air conditioning. We have updated it on the comments and are looking to get this rectified on the video soon. Just a basic fan system on the Ami 👍

[@godzuks]

Fab review, looks like a expensive novelty toy car,not sure from a safety point of view,too hot in summer freezing in winter, best use as you save in city centres were most speeds are up to 20 mph. I personally would not buy one, novelty will wane very quickly.

[@ISITWORTHITUK]

Thanks for watching and your kind comments Will, I think the novelty will be an issue for some. But for someone who can really use the Ami for what it’s designed for and not have any problems with charging , range and top speed. I feel it’s a winner, although a very niche winner. Citroen have actually just launched another concept the Oli with beefier specs. Hopefully this will get production like the Ami did 👍

[@robertj605]

The answer is yes! At least for a retired old couple living in western France. Ordered an Ami Tonic a week ago at €8,990 less €900 rebate from the government. Delivery May 2023 😢. It will just plug into a standard power socket at home. Personally we think Citroen is missing an alternative market to the younger audience, namely, older people who just want to pop out locally and run a vehicle cheaply. We calculate a cost of €1.2 to charge up overnight. That is €0.02 per km.🤨