Marketed since April 2020, the Citroën Ami has met with some success in Europe, and in France. Nearly 23,000 electric quadricycles have been sold worldwide, including more than 13,000 in France. Has the small herringbone model become the new popular French darling?
No offense to some, the Citroën Ami is a great success and sells like hotcakes. Since its launch in April 2020, more than 22,400 copies were sold in Europe. Suitable for individuals (especially young people) and professionals (with the Cargo version), the electric quadricycle is the new symbol of micro-mobility.
>> The Citroën Ami in the world in pictures <<
Europe is tearing it up
Many countries in Europe have been conquered by the Friend. This obviously goes through France, which represents nearly 58% of orders, more than 13,300 units sold. In France, ” between May 2021 and May 2022, the quadricycle market grew by 9.7%, driven by the arrival of Ami. Registrations increased by 47% in one year recalls Citroën.
The Friend also crossed the English Channel.
It’s not just in France that the little wheeled cube tops the charts. It is also the leader in Italy (2e market for the Friend behind France), in Belgium and Portugal. In the United Kingdom, the electric racing car marketed since May 24 has already registered more than 2,000 pre-orders. Success promises to be there despite its left-hand drive!
In Germany, the quadricycle is not marketed under the Citroën label. Opel took advantage of the synergy of the Stellantis group to rebadge the vehicle in its image and baptize it Rocks-e. The firefighters of the brand’s factory in Rüsselsheim offered themselves a copy. In Greece, it is the police of the island of Chalki who have chosen to patrol with two copies of Ami.
And as if this notoriety was not enough, Citroën has decided to make eyes at professionals with a Cargo variant. Thus, in Portugal for example, 160 Amis with a single seat on board were delivered to the local post office.
And in the world ?
Beyond the Old Continent, the Ami is marketed in Turkey. First open to professionals, orders were made available last June to individuals. The 50 Amis that were on sale sold out in just 25 minutes. The quadricyle has also landed its wheels in the United States and China. But the test has not been transformed… The model is still not present on the Free2Move car-sharing site, although the announcement dates back to 2021. Within the Middle Kingdom, the Friend is also not offered. But its look has been emulated since the vehicle has been meticulously copied by a local company which markets it on the Alibaba sales site at the price of an electric bike!
L’Ami: the popular new Citroën?
The Citroen Ami would it become a model as popular as the mythical 2CV? It is undoubtedly an affront to the French automobile industry to compare the two vehicles, however they share the same philosophy: that of rethinking mobility. With the 2CV, Citroën’s objective was to offer a low-cost, economical car with low fuel consumption. When it was released, the Deuche was sold for 235,000 francs, or just under €7,000. Offered at €7,790 (excluding bonuses), the Friend is just as attractive. Able to be driven without a licence, from the age of 14 in France, young people love it. They represent 42% of users. On the design side, there are the fanatics and the others. If the plastic – it is the case to say it – of the Friend is similar to that of a wheeled container, the French also made fun of the design of the 2CV at its launch. With an original look, the Ami hits hard.
It even offers itself the luxury of taking the name of a historic model from the manufacturer. Finally, as mentioned above, the electric quadricycle has diversified to appeal to both private customers and professionals. The manufacturer has even launched (successfully) on the juicy niche of limited series with the Ami Buggy. This adventurous and doorless version of the quadricycle, offered in only 50 units, sold out in less than 20 minutes.
