Citroën Ami - a tiny, electric 'polypropylene cube on wheels' for urban driving

[platinumsage]

You don't HAVE to drive the speed limit you know. You are allowed on a big road with a little car.

Yeah and it's legal to go on many 70mph roads in an 8mph mobility scooter. If the police see you however they'll have words of advice for your own safety.

It's fine to go 20 or 30mph on an unrestricted dual carriageway if you are in a big tractor with lots of yellow flashing lights. It's a different matter if you're in one of these things - it would be selfish and reckless.

 

[gentlegreen]

A key issue with electric cars is where you charge them if you live in a flat - or even if you live in a terraced house without even reserved external parking - in my case when I run a car I don't even expect to be able to park in the street.

I would need the ability to carry stuff - such as bikes and kayaks ...

 

[editor]

Yeah and it's legal to go on many 70mph roads in an 8mph mobility scooter. If the police see you however they'll have words of advice for your own safety.

It's fine to go 20 or 30mph on an unrestricted dual carriageway if you are in a big tractor with lots of yellow flashing lights. It's a different matter if you're in one of these things - it would be selfish and reckless.

Almost as selfish and reckless as buying a huge car to drive around a city and not wanting to reduce your speed for the greater good,

 

[editor]

I would need the ability to carry stuff - such as bikes and kayaks ...

You can always hire cars for those non-everyday needs, or get a folding bike/hire a kayak instead. We can't just carry on like nothing is happening,

 

[gentlegreen]

You can always hire cars for those non-everyday needs, or get a folding bike/hire a kayak instead. We can't just carry on like nothing is happening,

My issue with hire cars is damaging them - even the teeniest scratch would be an issue.

 

[platinumsage]

Almost as selfish and reckless as buying a huge car to drive around a city and not wanting to reduce your speed for the greater good,

People don't usually buy huge cars to drive around a city, they buy huge cars to drive around the country or even Europe, and in which they make all their journeys include those within cities.

You could argue that they ought to have various cars of different sizes and choose the appropriate one for each journey, but that would be wasteful and pointless.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Normal route:

View attachment 229940

Max 30mph route:

View attachment 229942

So, lower the limit on that ring road, problem solved.

 

[platinumsage]

I'd love one of these for those short city trips when I can't be arsed to walk or cycle e.g. when it's raining or when I don't have time or don't want to arrive in a sweat.

However I couldn't justify the expense and I'd have nowhere to park it alongside my existing car so it would have to be parked on the street. It would also be a massive waste of resources to have two cars when one plus a bicycle is sufficient.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

With the exception of motorways, limits just need dropping everywhere.

Trunk A roads - 50
Certain urban dual carriageways - 40
Main city centre routes - 30
Residential streets/anywhere with numbers of pedestrians - 20

If anyone has an objection other than “but I want to drive faster”, I’d love to hear it.

 

[editor]

People don't usually buy huge cars to drive around a city, they buy huge cars to drive around the country or even Europe, and in which they make all their journeys include those within cities.

Many, many people buy fucking huge cars - like those disgusting Land Rovers - which for the vast majority of the time are being driven around city streets. And they should get taxed to fuck until they see sense when they're driving these polluting over-engineered lumps of dangerous metal around urban and residential streets.

And why do you need a huge car to travel from city to city, anyway?

 

[gentlegreen]

With the exception of motorways, limits just need dropping everywhere.


Residential streets/anywhere with numbers of pedestrians - 20

If anyone has an objection other than “but I want to drive faster”, I’d love to hear it.

I was thinking this morning as I cycled down a suburban street with schoolkids everywhere and some twat belted down it at 20mph or more, if I was driving a car along there I would not go any faster than I was cycling - 10mph - perhaps even more slowly. (when I have to use main roads I tend to cycle at approx 15mph).

 

[JimW]

This is very like the electric three wheelie we use daily here, 6km school run and up the shops etc. Have an older open electric trike but winters a bit too cold for using that first thing. It has a roofrack and I've hauled a broken down bunkbed. Neighbours have slightly larger one with flatbed we've borrowed to haul bigger stuff.
ETA Ours cost equivalent of six hundred quid, top speed 40kph and range of about 150.

 

[chilango]

Many, many people buy fucking huge cars - like those disgusting Land Rovers - which for the vast majority of the time are being driven around city streets. And they should get taxed keyed to fuck until they see sense when they're driving these polluting over-engineered lumps of dangerous metal around urban and residential streets.

And why do you need a huge car to travel from city to city, anyway?

Cfy.

 

[T & P]

Motorways have nothing to do with this car. It’s not allowed on them.

Almost no urban/city road should have a higher limit than 30. Most should be 20.

This is no standard city road though is it?

Never mind 30 or 40, it's fit and proper enough for 50 mph.

 

[Idaho]

Normal route:

View attachment 229940

Max 30mph route:

View attachment 229942

If you stroll down the road 10 minutes, you can get the bus. It doesn't take that much longer.

 

[Saul Goodman]

This is no standard city road though is it?

Never mind 30 or 40, it's fit and proper enough for 50 mph.

The German model is best.

 

[xenon]

I'd love one of these for those short city trips when I can't be arsed to walk or cycle e.g. when it's raining or when I don't have time or don't want to arrive in a sweat.

However I couldn't justify the expense and I'd have nowhere to park it alongside my existing car so it would have to be parked on the street. It would also be a massive waste of resources to have two cars when one plus a bicycle is sufficient.

It's not all about you, you know.

It's like there was never a market for small cars at any point in history. This thing is a mini metro, not something you travel across country in.

 

[WouldBe]

People don't usually buy huge cars to drive around a city,

Not heard of Chelsea tractors then? Big 4x4's used exclusively in towns and cities and never seen a speck of mud. If it did the owner would probably have to change the vehicle.

Starting to get more popular even here in sleepy Chesterfield. I've even seen a nut job in a hummer lives down a nearby street of terraced houses.

 

[platinumsage]

It's not all about you, you know.

It's like there was never a market for small cars at any point in history. This thing is a mini metro, not something you travel across country in.

I've been across the country in a mini metro, no problem. This is nothing like that because it's limited in the same way some mopeds are. I'd compare it to an electric bike, a milk float or an invalid carriage.

 

[weltweit]

A 14 year old may be able to drive it, but are they organised enough to get home on one battery?

 

[platinumsage]

Not heard of Chelsea tractors then? Big 4x4's used exclusively in towns and cities and never seen a speck of mud. If it did the owner would probably have to change the vehicle.

How do you know those cars don't ever get used on motorways or to visit other cities? I'm pretty sure you don't, and that the 4x4 that never leaves a 30 zone is rarer than hen's teeth.

 

[Teaboy]

Being restricted to 30mph makes it pretty useless for city dwellers, it would be highly dangerous on the north circular for example. Seems like it’s more a substitute for cycling/walking/scooters rather than for actual cars.

Local buses use the North Circular. Not exactly known for their speed. I know they're a lot bigger but its not like this thing is invisible. Certainly more visible than motorcyclists.

 

[PursuedByBears]

I'm all for greener transport measures, I cycle over 100 miles a week, but that looks shit

 

[Saul Goodman]

I'm all for greener transport measures, I cycle over 100 miles a week, but that looks shit

Yeah but that's only because it is.

 

[WouldBe]

How do you know those cars don't ever get used on motorways or to visit other cities? I'm pretty sure you don't, and that the 4x4 that never leaves a 30 zone is rarer than hen's teeth.

Why on earth would you want a 4x4 for when you only ever drive on tarmac? Complete waste of space, air and fuel.

 

[platinumsage]

Why on earth would you want a 4x4 for when you only ever drive on tarmac? Complete waste of space, air and fuel.

The contention was that they never leave the city they are seen in. If you want to talk about 4x4s vs e.g estate cars or MPVs for inter-city and cross-country travel, there's a thread over there ->

 

[nogojones]

Normal route:

View attachment 229940

Max 30mph route:

View attachment 229942

2 miles. Knowing Cov in rush hour, you'd be quicker walking

 

[skyscraper101]

I’m all for small, electric cars. But this one is well ugly. I’d sooner drive a Smart EQ fortwo or VW e-UP or something a little less conspicuously crap looking.

 

[Saul Goodman]

I’m all for small, electric cars. But this one is well ugly. I’d sooner drive a Smart or VW e-UP or something a little less conspicuously crap looking.

Same as this.
It seems to be trying to create its own market. If you want an electric car, just buy a proper one, one that you can actually go somewhere in... Or get the bus.

 

[editor]

Why on earth would you want a 4x4 for when you only ever drive on tarmac? Complete waste of space, air and fuel.

Status. Luxury. 'Safety' for your precious little one on the short drive to school and back. Etc etc.