Last week, Citroën released some teaser images of a city car concept it will display at the Geneva Motor Show. At the time, Citroën merely said it would be electric, it would celebrate Citroën's 100 years, and that it would show what the French carmaker envisions for urban mobility. Citroën's marketing chief, Arnaud Belloni, told Autocar earlier that the concept would show a car that would be "as important to Citroën as the 2CV was."
Citroën has now shown more photos of the upcoming concept as it readies for Geneva, and the Ami One, as it is called, has been revealed to be an electric quadricycle. Light, plastic-bodied moped cars have been a staple of French towns for decades, and the Ami One appears to continue that tradition, just with more modern styling and materials along with electric power instead of a small diesel engine. The Ami One name is a reference to a small 1960s Citroën sedan, mechanically related to the 2CV.
The just-over-eight-foot, two-seater car has its wheels in the corners and can be driven without a European driving license, as it's limited to less than 28 mph, weighs only 937 pounds and is both 59 inches tall and wide. The concept's design is super-simple, with identical doors on both sides and matching bumpers front and rear, and the assembly process appears as uncomplicated as putting together furniture. Citroën says the Ami One's range is 62 miles, and it takes two hours to charge at a public spot.
The eventual production version would be available through Citroën's Free2Move mobility brand, offered for five minutes or five days, or for even five months or five years, depending on the lease. The shortest time periods would mean it rivaled public transport in the spur of the moment, and the longer leases would offer it as a car alternative. The five-year lease plan includes battery leasing, maintenance and parking costs, and instead of conventional dealership experiences the Ami Ones could be booked from counters at shopping malls and city centers.
