The Citroen Ami Is Coming to America
Jane Lu
· 3 min read
Europe
is known for their subcompact cars. Bigger vehicles like trucks and SUVs
are extremely popular in America. But some of the smaller cars have grown a loyal audience, like the Mini
Cooper and a few different Fiat models. If you’re a fan of small cars, there’s some exciting news from a French automaker. A new Euro "ultra-compact" electric vehicle is coming to America: the Citroen Ami.
What is the Citroen Ami?
At first glance, the Citroen Ami looks very similar to Smart cars, which were also from Europe. According to
Autoblog
, the tiny vehicle starts at around $7,000 in most European cities. The electric Ami Vibe costs more, at around $9,000, but comes with government subsidies in most cases. The tiny car seats two, and can only reach up to 28 mph. Because of its size, the company was able to classify it as a "quadricycle." Under French law, it can be driven legally by 14-year-olds.
The car became quite popular in the crowded and congested city of Paris. But whether it would be suited for big cities in America is something that still needs to be explored.
How will American consumers be able to drive the Citroen Ami?
In France, you can either buy the Ami or rent one for 65 cents per minute, but you need to be 18 to rent an Ami. Citroen’s parent company, PSA, has a rental unit called Free2Move. Free2Move announced that the Ami will be available for the rental fleet in Washington, D.C.
Free2Move reported on their
LinkedIn
page that five Citroen Amis are being tested. The post included that, "Members of the Free2Move car-sharing service will receive the opportunity to test Ami and provide feedback on its usability, drivability and applicability for future use in car-sharing fleets in the U.S."In the U.S., the Ami is classified as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle. With a range of about 44 miles on a full charge, this car isn’t suitable for a long road trip. But, the small car has a surprising amount of storage and can work well for chores and short commutes.
Will my insurance cover Ami rentals?
Some car rental services offer car insurance packages, but if you have a credit card or
car insurance policy
, you most likely have some rental car insurance
. If the Ami becomes available in your city, make sure to check with your insurance company to see if your policy covers rental cars.If you want to find affordable car insurance on rentals or any other personal vehicles,
Jerry
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