Citroen Ami EV spotted in KL – tiny ‘car’ has two front ends, 8 hp, 45 km/h top speed; what’s it doing here?

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What on earth, you ask. This car – which looks like it has two front ends – is the Citroen Ami, a tiny city EV that has an almost symmetrical shape and facial features that are mirrored at the back. Which leads to the legit question of which is the back? Look for the red lights.

Little Ami was spotted by Shahril Khazali at Jalan Duta, ambling along in slow traffic, where it’s at home. That’s because the 8 hp (6 kW) electric motor of the Citroen gives it a top speed of only 45 km/h. That’s right – this ‘car’ can’t even breach 50! Juice is from a 5.5-kWh lithium-ion battery, which provides 70 km range. A full charge from a household 220V socket takes about three hours. You can also recharge with an EV wallbox, and it would be a quickie.

If you’re wondering, the Ami is 2,400 mm long and 1,390 mm wide, making it smaller than the smart fortwo, for those who remember the OG smart. It weighs just 485 kg.

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Surely this is not a real car, you say. And you’re right. In Europe, the Ami is classified as a quadricycle, which means that it can be driven without a driving license in the EU by anyone aged 16 and above, or 14 in France. In its homeland, the Ami is sold conventionally (6,000 euros, which is equivalent to RM30,460) or available via long-term rental or car-sharing.

Notice the 2CV-style flip-up windows? The Ami doesn’t have air con, like the Renault Twizy that was officially sold in Malaysia. No AC, coupled with the low top speed and range, means this car would be unusable for many.

I’d agree with that, but looking at my own driving pattern, the 2km route from home to shops for lunch and groceries doesn’t really allow for speeds above 50 km/h. Yes it’s weird, but I frequently drive with the windows down and have always liked the idea of a Twizy.

Anyway, what’s this slow Ami doing in high-speed KL? Looking at the VVIP number plate, it’s clearly not a Stellantis test mule and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a toy of the Johor royal family, which also has the cute Honda e in the collection. Want an EV with (almost) the same concept as the Ami but usable as a daily ride? I tried such a machine and here’s the report.

GALLERY: Citroen Ami

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