Citroen to sell tiny, 28mph electric car in UK for around £5,000

Citroen has announced that it will sell a small, 2.41 metre long electric car that has a top speed of just 28mph for around £5,000 in the UK.

The French firm’s electric quadricycle, the Ami, is built for France’s ‘voiture sans permis’ regulations, which are vehicles that anyone over the age of 14 can drive even without a licence.

It had not been planned for sale in the UK, but a media offensive from Citroen UK over the summer generated ‘unprecedented customer demand’ – and with 12,000 people expressing an interest in buying the model, the firm will now officially bring the Ami to these shores.

A full driving licence will be required to drive it in the UK. The Ami has an electric motor with a 5.5kWh battery that can be recharged in three hours.

This gives it a 46-mile range while the top speed is 28mph.

It has a tight turning circle, with the idea to make it better suited to city driving, where space is more limited.

Inside, it has a basic design, with heating and somewhere to put your phone and a small amount of storage.

It’s expected to cost somewhere in the region of £5,000, which could help to make electric motoring more affordable – though whether this price point is low enough for people to buy into the lack of creature comforts and low battery range remains to be seen.

Eurig Druce, managing director of Citroen UK, said: “I am absolutely delighted to announce that Citroen Ami is launching in the UK.

"With cities and urban areas introducing stricter limits for vehicles, and people demanding new mobility solutions, Ami shows once again how Citroën is adapting to meet the demands of the times.” As of today (September 22), the 12,000 people who have already expressed an interest in the model can put down a £250 refundable deposit, with deliveries expected in spring 2022. Deposits will open to everyone on September 27.