Boasting a turning circle tighter than a London cab’s and tiny dimensions to ease it through traffic, Citroen hopes its ‘clean’ new electric van will soon be delivering take-aways and parcels to customers across London.
The two-seater ‘My Ami Cargo’ is based on the firm’s chic Ami car but has had its rear seat removed to turn it into a hard-working city vehicle, capable of carrying out zero-emission ‘last mile’ deliveries in dense urban areas.
The novel French vehicle, which has already proved effective in trials in Paris, is a mere 2.4 metres long and has a range of 47 miles. It can be re-charged from a standard domestic power socket in just three hours.
Officially rated as a ‘light quadricycle’ rather than a car, it will go on sale next month at a price of €6,490, or it can be leased for €24.18 per month.
Cargo pod
By removing the rear seat, Citroen’s designers made room for a neat polypropylene pod that can hold up to 260-litres or 140kgs of cargo... which means plenty of hot take-away meals. By utilising storage elsewhere in the car, the My Ami Cargo can carry a total of around 400-litres, slightly more than the amount of space on offer in the boot of a Ford Focus.
“My Ami Cargo is 100 per cent suited for inner-city delivery services, particularly as e-commerce and home food delivery is on the rise,” a Citroen spokesman said. “It is also a useful solution for many other urban operators, including local service companies (plumbers, electricians and locksmiths), local authorities and other public sector service providers. We believe it is just right for service in London, especially bearing in mind that it is zero-emissions.”
Dodging traffic
Usefully for London delivery drivers, the My Ami Cargo has a tighter turning circle than the legendary black cab, at just 7.20 metres, to make parking - and dodging traffic - easier.
Citroen is now evaluating potential levels of interest from UK customers, and has launched a ‘Register Your Interest’ form to gain insight into London customers’ demands.
Drivers of the tiny car are unlikely to get done for speeding - at least in 30 mph zones. It has a top speed of just 28mph from the 8bhp electric motor, and it has a steel tubular structure from occupant protection, essential for the cut and thrust of London traffic.
