Dinky and doorless: Citroen confirms 1,000 special edition Ami Buggy EVs

Citroen has confirmed it will produce 1,000 Ami electric buggies that will go on sale next year – and some could be heading to the UK.

The Ami electric quadricycle has proved a hit for the French brand since it was unveiled in 2020.

It also sparked the production of 50 limited-edition Ami Buggy models to be sold in France only earlier this year – all of which were snapped up within 18 minutes of being announced. 

However, Citroen says it will make another 1,000 examples to be sold to European customers, with prices expected to be in excess of £8,700. 

While a doorless electric vehicle with a range of 46 miles might be a good option for summer in the South of France, the exposed microcar could become the worst possible vehicle on sale for British winters – especially with another  blast of Arctic weather predicted after Christmas.

Citroen on Thursday announced that just 1,000 limited edition My Ami Buggy models will be on sale next year.

This is Money contacted the manufacturer’s UK division and was told by a spokesperson that there is not yet confirmation regarding if any will be sold in Britain, with details about availability coming in spring 2023. 

The commitment to make more examples of the doorless Ami follows the huge success of the conventional electric passenger model that’s been on sale in the UK since this year.  

The EV – which technically qualifies as a ‘light quadricycle’ and not a car, and therefore can be driven by motorists as young as 16 with an AM moped licence – costs from £7,695 in the UK and is also available as a single-seat commercial vehicle designed for last-mile deliveries in cities.

The diminutive motor is just 2.4 metres long, 1.4 metres wide and 1.5 metres tall, making it the smallest ‘car’ currently on the road.

Performance is equally modest, with power supplied by a 5.5kW battery and 8bhp electric motor driving the front wheels providing a limited top speed of just 28mph.

The range on a full charge is just 46 miles, though the compact battery pack takes just three hours to charge using a conventional three-pin domestic plug and socket.

If this doesn’t sound extreme enough, the My Ami Buggy takes things to a whole new level.

It’s a stripped-back version of a wacky concept Ami the brand revealed last December – and says received ‘extremely positive reception’ from potential customers.

While the concept had no doors whatsoever, Citroen’s 1,000 production My Ami Buggy is fitted with hinged metal tubing in place of full panels.

It also has a detachable soft-top roof section, which is inspired by that of the iconic 2CV. This sunroof-sized fabric cover can be rolled back and stored in a compartment behind the two seats.

While these features sound idyllic for a short summer scuttle to a beach on the Mediterranean coast, it could be the least appropriate vehicle for Britain’s sub-zero winters.

Citroen says the Ami is already being used on the island of Halki off the coast of Greece where the police and Coast Guard drives them. Seven Amis have also been added to the Italian island of Maddalena’s police fleet. 

But climates in these picturesque resorts will be far from the freezing conditions seen in Britain, especially in winter – this season in particular. 

Forecaster this week have warned that a new Arctic blast of cold weather could be heading for the UK after Christmas as icey temperatures are predicted across the country until the middle of January.

Experts say the conditions could see temperatures drop as low as -11C.

Not what you’d call the ideal climate for a car without doors.

The impact of colder temperatures also hampers battery efficiency of electric cars, with sub-zero conditions dramatically reducing range capabilities. In a vehicle that offer a maximum of 46 miles of driving, it’s another reason why many will consider the My Ami Buggy a terrible choice for Britons.

The limited edition doorless models also get a roof spoiler at the rear – though at top speeds of 28mph, we doubt it will generate much downforce – and chunky plastic panel protectors around the headlight cluster and wheel arches.

Citroen says it ‘will be very similar to the first edition, but with a few surprise features over the current My Ami Buggy’.

There’s not yet confirmation regarding colour options, with the first 50 cars sold in 2022 only available in military-grade Khaki green with yellow accents.

The French maker pointed out that it will be sold on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, with customers interested in a My Ami Buggy told to ‘stand ready to seize the opportunity on the very first day it goes on sale at the end of the first quarter of 2023’. 

To do this, they will need to register an expression of interest via Citroen’s website. 

There is no confirmation regarding price, though it will almost certainly come at a premium over the most expensive conventional Ami – the Tonic – which rings in at £8,695. 

First deliveries to European customers are expected to arrive at the end of the summer.