Citroën Introduces My Ami Buggy Concept For Beach Goers!

We have talked a lot about Stellantis’ two-passenger electric quadricycle, which is sold under the automaker’s Citroën and Opel brands. As a Citroën, the Ami has been developed to be a cheap, efficient, and user-friendly mode of transportation in urban landscapes. 

Weighing in at 85 kg (or about 1,069 lbs) with its 5.5 kWh lithium-ion battery, housed flat under the floor, the Ami doesn’t have the lightning performance like most electric vehicles on the market. The Ami only has a 6.5 kW electric motor that operates at 48-volts (or about 8 horsepower) driving its front wheels, which lets the Ami travel up to a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph). This means the Ami can be driven in certain countries like France, by drivers 14-years of age.

Over the past year, Citroën has shown several variants of the Ami, including a police vehicle and one for commercial businesses as a delivery vehicle dubbed the “Ami Cargo”. Now the French automaker is ready to show off a new Ami-based concept, purposing the Ami as a beach vehicle – enter the My Ami Buggy Concept.

Designed as a recreational vehicle for weekends, vacations by the sea, or in the countryside, the My Ami Buggy Concept offers another purpose for the urban-focused quadricycle. Thanks to its electric powertrain, the My Ami Buggy offers those looking to tour around their favorite seaside vacation destination a noiselessly and emission-free, offering an open-air experience.

Sitting securely on a set of wide aggressively tread tires, the My Ami Buggy has an adventurous character, highlighted at the front and at the rear by its bull-bars, wheels, and headlight/taillight grilles, its bumpers, and its faceplates, in the center of which holds the Citroën chevron logo. On the sides, the silhouette is strengthened by reworked fender flares and tubular protections along the bottom of the doors. While on the roof, the roof rack and spare wheel emphasize the concept’s spirit of adventure. All these decorative elements come in a single shade of black.

The LED light bar on the front of the roof adds an adventurous touch into the night or the fog. Once stationary, everything comes together to provide a “camp-fire” atmosphere, created by the light diffused by this rail and the music from its nomadic speaker.

The doors have been removed, replaced by transparent rainproof canvas that can be pulled back in bad weather, in a nod to the classic Citroën Méhari. These are fitted with zippers to enclose the passenger compartment, with high openings evoking the glazed doors on conventional vehicles. These practical protective curtains can be removed, rolled up, and stored behind the seats in dedicated storage bags. A roof cap has been fitted above the windscreen, running out from the roof and offering protection against adverse weather conditions. It provides shade in summer by shielding the rays of the midday sun.

Although it is an unrestrained expression, the designers have nevertheless ensured that the concept is both realistic and effective. Fixing certain elements was a real challenge for the technicians who, in some cases, have had to attach them directly to the tubular chassis to make sure they are secure. This is particularly the case with the bullbars and the spare wheel on the roof.

The colors are equipped on the My Ami Buggy Concept – black, khaki, and yellow. The black, inspired by camping equipment, reinforces the functional and robust nature of the vehicle. The different shades of black – Anodized Black on the wheel arches and roof and Speckled Black for a hammered effect on the rear – perfectly complement the Anodized Khaki and Citric Yellow shades, conveying an overall adventurous appearance enhanced with meticulous details.

Many key elements of My Ami Buggy Concept are highlighted by an occasional dash of Citric Yellow, including the seats, the charging cable, the graphic door pods, as well as all the luggage area and a number of the accessories. This tangy color also indicates that the highlighted objects serve a functional purpose.

Following in the footsteps of the Jeep^® brand, there are Easter eggs all over the My Ami Buggy. Decals echoing the theme of the Citroën chevrons are repeated on various elements of the vehicle. Throughout the interior, there are a number of Easter eggs playing tribute to concepts of the past like the 19_19 Concept and Ami One Concept vehicles. The word “Pilot” appears on the roof on the driver’s side and the word “Copilot” on the passenger side, while in the same nod to motor racing, the number 01 features on the driver’s seat and 02 on the passenger’s seat to indicate their positions.

Yellow arrow-shaped stickers under the spoiler show the direction of the wind, in a tribute to aviation. Similar decoration is also found on the wheel arches. A “+” badge appears in the driver’s side mirror, referring to the electric motor and the battery terminals, as well as the parking spaces reserved for electric vehicles.

Three areas of the My Ami Buggy Concept have been the subject of painstaking interior design work – the seats, the storage, and the luggage area.

The concept features new Advanced Comfort® seat cushions, the foam of which has been increased from 35mm (1.37 inches) on Ami to 70mm (2.75 inches) thick. Adding memory foam has made the seats both light and soft. They can easily be removed from the shell and are interchangeable and washable. They are also made by assembling two shells, one on top of the other – inspired by the design of a buoy and therefore creating a link with the world of beach accessories.

The storage areas are clever and portable. Each has its own function within the passenger compartment but can be taken outside for a picnic or an outing. The storage bins on the dashboard, accessories already available on My Ami, have been specially redesigned for My Ami Buggy Concept. A Matte Gold metal storage rack is fixed above the bins to prevent objects from moving.

A special range of luggage has been designed, each item of which fits perfectly into the vehicle’s interior spaces. The bum bag attaches to a magnet in the center of the steering wheel, especially recessed to accommodate it, and can also be worn on the belt via its loop. A sailor’s bag with a flap has its own place under the dashboard, in the storage space that holds a cabin suitcase in Ami. It is held at the bottom by a tubular structure to stop it from falling over.

Storage space is also built into the doors at seat height. This can hold any type of object or a large detachable bag specially designed to be stored there and which can be opened from the inside. This can serve as a storage tray. A fun button unlocks the doors, which are rear-hinged as on the Ami. The charging cable, meanwhile, is fitted into a holder in the passenger door frame in the shape of a handle to facilitate the catching of objects.

The Ami has a range of 70 kilometers (or about 43.5 miles) on a charge. Speaking of charging, there is an onboard electric cable located on the passenger side of the vehicle that can charge the vehicle to 100% in about 3 hours using a conventional 220-volt outlet.

Ami’s asymmetrical body, as the front and rear of the vehicle, have the same profile giving the vehicle a quirky design that is more functional than it is attractive. Not only are the front and rear the same shape, but the doors even swing the opposite of one another, meaning that Ami’s doors have one specific door design making the entire vehicle cheaper in overall cost and cheaper for replacement cost and to manufacture. 

Will it be produced? We aren’t sure just yet. We know Stellantis is pushing for the Ami and the Rocks-e in urban settings. The automaker has even teased about bringing the Ami here for its Free2Move car-sharing program in Washington D.C.