PARIS, May 20 ― A week after a wholly new kind of launch without any advertising and 100 per cent of orders via the internet, the new electric Ami from Citroën, which in its home market of France is accessible to everyone from the age of 14 and does not require a driver's licence, has already netted 170 sales in the country.

Initial figures show 170 orders from private individuals, three-quarters of which were paid in cash and the remainder with an upfront to be followed by rental over a period of four years. An overwhelming majority of customers (88 per cent) also chose home delivery rather than pick-up from Citroën. First deliveries are expected at the end of July.

The brand's Global Marketing Director, Arnaud Belloni points out that the marketing strategy adopted for the Ami, with no intermediaries and direct internet-only sales via a dedicated website (store.citroen.fr/ami) amounts to a breakthrough for the automaker: “the customer can decide to buy from home whenever he or she wants, even on a Sunday morning at 2.00am, which is very trendy these days.”

According to Belloni, the first sales figures show that the unusual approach adopted by the brand in bringing the Ami to market is the right one. Citroën's goal is to “make electric mobility accessible to as many people as possible. With the Ami, we're offering an electric solution that can be charged anywhere, which will only cost the price of a monthly transport pass.”

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Let's not forget that the diminutive Ami is quite different from other vehicles on the market. First and foremost, there is its extremely compact size, but even more importantly it does not require a driver's licence and can be driven by anyone who is over the age of 14. With a top speed that is limited to 45 km/h, it has a range of around 75 kilometres, and can be charged from a standard domestic power outlet. In France the Ami is priced at €7,300 (RM34,762), without taking into account environmental tax incentives (a rebate of €900 in Europe), or it can be rented for 19.99 euros per month (following an initial payment of €3,941).

From June 15, the Ami will also be available for long-term rental throughout France from 39 Fnac/Darty stores. On the same day, some Citroën dealerships will begin showing the Ami and giving future customers a chance to try it out. It is also worth noting that the Ami will soon be made available to Parisians via the Free2Move car-sharing initiative, which is due to commence operations in July.

Following deployment in France, the Ami will be available for order in Italy before the end of 2020, and in Spain, Portugal, and Belgium in the course of 2021. ― AFP-Relaxnews

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