Has anyone seen the teeny Citroen Ami for sale in Portugal, or has anyone bought one? Was wondering if it would make a cheap runaround electric car to keep over there but in Citroen garages I can’t see them for sale? Anyone know if they are for sale at the moment?
advantage, v cheap, disadvantages, could easily get killed in one, and no good for long journeys or motorways but could be handy for nipping to the shops/beach?
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May 07, 2022 9:13 am
16 Replies
May 07, 2022 3:45 pm
They are on sale here.
I've seen them at my local Citroen Concessionaire in Torres Vedras and in Lisbon.
I even saw a local farmer with his wife driving one recently in the sticks.
Bear in mind that, at present, the range is +- 75km, so it is really only a local run-around.
@barlaventoexpert thanks so much for that. I looked at the Faro Citroen garage (I'm in the Algarve) and couldn’t see anything about it but at least I know now you can buy them in Portugal.
I normally hire a car but now I have a house in Portugal and hope to come over more also including the summer, the price for car rental goes so high in the summer, plus petrol these days, I thought a cheap electric car might be the answer.
I don’t really want to invest too much in something that will just be sitting in a garage a lot of the year so it sounded like a possibility.
I agree the mileage is restrictive but the most restrictive thing I read somewhere you can’t use it on motorways which could be a nuisance if that includes the A22 in the Algarve. I'd really like to try one too, maybe I will go to the garage you mentioned when I am next in Lisbon if I can’t find them in the Algarve.
@aspidistra That's right, those cars can't be used in motorways like the A22. Vehicles with portuguese yellow l/p can't use those roads (Autoestradas - AE, Itinerários Complementares - IC and Itinerários Principais - IP).
You might consider buying a used electric car (be aware with used Renault ZOEs, there's a ongoing scam involving one seller).
@antonio_f thanks for your help. I'm not sure about buying a second-hand electric car, I worry that the battery would be getting old and I wouldn’t know a good car from a dud one. 😀
May 07, 2022 8:43 pm
You can order a Citroen AMI from a FNAC store: https://www.fnac.pt/citroen-ami-eletrico
Be aware that those cars can't use highways or similar roads (AE, IC, IP) due to its low top speed (45 km/h) vs roads minimum speed (50 km/h).
@antonio_f funnily enough just after you posted them I was in a shopping mall and they had one of the cars outside the FNAC shop.
Jul 09, 2022 4:06 pm
Having seen one around I looking into the spec on one and it seems to be the one EV worth a look, since they are all essentially a second car.
In France they can be driven by 14 year olds and banned drivers, here they would seem a better alternative to the little no licence diesel clunkers and only a few km/h slower. I con't see how they are dangerous, any more than a bicycle or moped, indeed they are a lot more visible.
I you are planning in leaving it stored for months on end, it may be an idea to get someone to keep it charged, or maybe lease one, which will come. I am pretty sure the batteries won't be that expensive compared with other EVs as there won't be that many, due to weight, power and range.
I doubt if you will find one secondhand as they haven't been out here that long. Though I managed to find a 6 month old Vespa with 2 miles on the clock in the UK, it seems the owner didn't like it.
For popping to the shops and beach, why not.....many years ago I bought a Sinclair C5, what a pile of rubbish, but made a lot of money when i sold it. Now that was dangerous due to it's invisibility. Hard to believe Clive Sinclair was a member of Mensa, well maybe not.
@allanb hi there, why would it matter if the battery ran down? I was assuming I could let it go flat and then just charge it back up when I am out there but I suppose maybe there are some parts that need to be kept charged?
I am still not sure about getting one. Great price but it would be frustrating not to be able to go on some roads, I live somewhere where it is easiest to go one junction on the motorway to get anywhere really, it means going the long way around to some places.
One other thing I have been wondering about, I have an open car port and have thought of putting in walls to make part of it indoor storage. I could keep it inside there but I wonder whether the heat would affect it, I assume an open car port is cooler.
@aspidistra Oh no, you can never, ever, ever let a EV battery go flat. We had 2 EV's and one hybrid in the US and it's a really big problem if they go flat. Also, Our first EV had about the same range and it really wasn't very practical for us and that was living in Los Angeles with MANY public chargers around. We could charge at home but it was tough to go other places further out not knowing if we would get home or not. I guess it depends on where you need to go here.
@khadija ah thanks for letting me know that, that makes it a bit of a hassle if I have to get people to charge it when I'm not there. Not insurmountable but glad you told me!
Jul 09, 2022 11:16 pm
You can get a electric car (used) for under €11 000, without the limitations of the AMI. In that case, you should take the car to the brand shop and test it's battery. Even though people speak a lot the batteries, they only die if make a intensive use of fast chargers, if you charge it mostly at home (slow charge), they will last much longer.
Also, I read somewhere that Opel/Vauxhall has launched (not in Portugal) their AMI twin car, the Rocks-e, with a similar price.
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