Well the spare wheel at home could be an option. It's not likely you will be that far from home, so a family member could bring it to you. Worst case you could get an Uber home and back if you didn't want to wait for the RAC/AA etc. As for the cold weather issue. If I lived somewhere that would regularly get below zero I would probably mod a heating mat to the battery. You can get a 1.2m X 0.5m 100w plant heat pad from Amazon for £34. Use a smart plug to turn it on when you go to bed. Even on full rate electric it would cost less than 27p to run for 8 hours. With Octopus Go half of that would be at cheap rate so around 18p.
Strange the Ami reducing speed in the cold. Our Twizy has similar size battery and still gives full speed in very cold temperatures, given Amis lower top speed and power requirement it really shouldn't be a problem. Sounds like Citroen are being a bit over cautious.
They probably opted to just replace the engine instead of diagnosing the issue so that they could send the old engine fully intact to the company so that they can tear it down and see what issues it had and if this is a one off or a possible issue that could be a problem in every one of these engines. When I worked at a Chevrolet dealer in the USA when going to college there were times when a car/ truck would come in with an engine or transmission fault and as they were still under warranty, GM would just tell the dealer to send it back with no tear down so they could tear it down there. They would then send a new engine for the vehicle.
It makes me wonder if it is worth it. My 2017, 24Kw Nissan Leaf, made a trip of 63 miles yesterday in -12c temperature with the climate control set at 21C without an issue. Certainly more comfortable than an AMI for not much more money!
They’re not even slightly the same thing 🤷♂️ my 2005 diesel Audi A8 could do it significantly more comfortably than your Leaf but I wouldn’t compare them because they’re not comparable.
I have always fitted an emergency spare wheel where one was not supplied. I even fitted one to my first Nissan LEAF (a dealer rip-off) complete with (nephew-made) custom boot shelf. Obviously, I have since transferred it to my LEAF e+. I think that the RAC delay that you experienced was ridiculously long and totally unacceptable. These scandalous times should be publicised. Green Flag could possibly have been much better but you didn't have that choice. Surely your Renault dealer should have helped out.
Hi there. Thanks for this. I’ve just had the exact same cold weather issue and had a notion that’s what was happening! Again, switching it off and on helped! I still love it, it’s exactly what I needed it for.
In my 'new' car, there being just an inflation kit in a recess for a spare tyre led to me immediately sourcing a used emergency wheel/tyre and a jack (£35 off ebay). Peace of mind on long journeys!
@9:57 not suprising consibering there is no thermol management, as said a charge before departing, not sure a garage would help as it still gets cold unless its a heated garage of course.
Glad Ami is back. I have a colleague with a Tesla and she reports that as well as a range drop, performance has been affected below -10 and regen is reduced automatically to reduce the risk of sliding.
Other EVs do go into turtle mode at low battery and will immobilize when battery is totally drained. Most have a safety factor even when 0% is indicated.
Hmm. 🤔 In my (grumpy) experience of riding the same regular pedal bicycle in the north of England for 17 years, tyre goo, Slime, etc only ever works on the punctures they demo at exhibitions and in bike shops, but never on the real ones you get (after dark, in the rain) out on the road. In EVERY instance, my punctures have been the ones that the compound can't quite handle. Hawthorn - the Yorkshire caltrop - is the bane of my life. I've tried all the so-called remedies, from gunk, slime and sludge, to 'guaranteed puncture-proof' super-tough kevlar tyres. I've tried solid rubber tyres, which didn't have any air in them to lose, but their solid nature transferred massive shocks through to the wheel hubs and bearings, which cracked and failed. I've tried stretchy protective strips, squidgy bands, and even several old inner tubes cut into ribbons and layered between the tyre and the tube. Nothing works. So I carry two spare tubes and a puncture repair kit. I've got no faith in miracle cures.
I have the same gloves. Here in western Canada, we're having a cold snap with snow. It's unusual here. My gas powered Hyundai started very slowly this morning. Cold weather affects every kind of propulsion.
Your Ami has almost the same reg plate as mine so i wonder whether they share issues. Mine is in the dealership at the moment. Still waiting to hear what's happening or get an update. No courtesy car. Been there for 12 days! Recalls and sorting out power loss etc amongst other things. Rubber hinges on windows had turned inside out aswell. Lots of niggles but still love it. Like a rogue puppy.
Seems pretty much all of them are now subject to a recall. Be interested to hear more about power loss issues - none of that here outside of the usual cold weather stuff they all suffer from 🤔
@@FakeConcernfair one! Think it was you who suggested it previously - planning on doing some journey time comparison videos of different transport types once I can rope in a willing volunteer 👀
Oi, Citroën! Noooo! I refuse to call it 'turtle' mode. Look at the yellow icon: the creature clearly has feet, so it's a tortoise! 🐢 Pardon my sweeping generalisation, but a turtle is a marine chelonian with flippers and no claws; a terrapin is a freshwater chelonian with clawed, webbed feet. I, on the other hand, am a pedantic cow with an attitude problem. 🐄👀
I feel they need to make it law to have a spare wheel in cars again, had a recent puncture with my car which couldn’t be plugged, had a stressful week getting a tow for my car to the garage. Had punctures before but always had a spare wheel to bail me out 😬
Had you considered fabricating an insulated jacket for the batteries? This would help protect them from the cold, although it would be important not to get them too hot as a result!
Different strokes for different folks. If it could do 50MPH like the Twizy and had a better heater, it would be a viable vehicle. As it is with a tiny heater, 28MPH on a good say and less in the cold, it's got just too many compromises for what it costs - in my opinion. I think car manufacturers do themselves a disservice by making vehicles with such fundamental flaws. Citroen need to tap up their 2CV frugality heritage and make a cheap EV for the masses, that can actually go on a motorway, go a modest distance and still keep you warm & dry.
weather will be warmer by saturday - heading your way and cardiff is 8-9 deg at lunctime so glos should be similar - dorset ftw - big coat fail tho lol from the house to the car id have put it on hehe
I don’t think you can compare the Ami with a car, it’s more of a motorcycle really so compare how cold you would be on a motorcycle, likewise would you use a motorcycle in really bad weather, snow & ice. Don’t be too hard on it,
Haven't really had any serious issues during this cold snap - one or two slow hill climbs and some slow charging but considering how cold it's been I'd say all in all performance has been better than expected - but then my Ami is kept in a garage. There's enough room to get a spare tyre in if you take the back panel off - but not sure that would really work in practice. Will look at Tyreweld for emergencies. PS Great video. Keep up the good work.
Gary, you need to get your Amy looking a little more colourful. Get those stickers and other extras as soon as poss will make you feel even better. Terry
I guess ICE cars have their cold weather issues, hadn't started the i10 for a week, battery low, washers frozen etc. These temperatures are fairly exceptional for December as well. I don't suppose the Morocco postal service has to worry about this though!
This is not really a surprise to me, no different to when I got running in this weather with my iPhone on a quad lock arm strap and the battery gets destroyed by the cold. I have my 300w ALLPOWERS battery pack and 150w mini desktop PCT heater to pre heat the ami. Will also turn on the charge with my wifi plug 30 mins before use to warm the battery.
Only 300 miles on the motor? Now I feel de-throned because the engine of my brand-new Royal Enfield died after just 2500km back then in 2012. 😇 I reckon that Ami comes with zero thermal management of the battery (like Twizy) and unlike bigger EV. That sweater of yours must be the super-duper-insulating-miracle-fabric-kind-from-outer-space thing...can't believe you're sitting in the AMI at minus something with something on that looks so thin. 😬 Getting shivers just from watching. bbbrrrrrrr 🥶
the turtle icon is bigger than the car. for a car that only gets to 30mph any drop is really bad for speed. every one is going to think you are a very old person driving slowly. you could take it into the living room to keep it warm in front of the fire. hehe or buy it a big glove to put it in
I’ve really missed your videos Gary. Very informative and those gloves are huge!!! It reminded me of jazz hands. I expect you will be using Rain X when it’s warmer. Can you use de-icer on the Ami? The engine area looks very open under there.
9:50 - In my experience (2x Citroën Visas, one Ford Fiesta, one Nissan Micra), old-school petrol cars only lose range in cold weather if they're driven unsympathetically. Dress warmly, de-ice by hand, turn everything off, have a light right foot, and don't drive like a complete spanner and there's no reason why fuel consumption should increase. Mine didn't. I was poor enough to have to do fortnightly fuel/mileage sums, and saw no significant [sic] difference from summer to winter in the north of England. None of my cars had electric-anything or air-conditioning. They were all analogue, hence the tiresome manual fuel-consumption calculations.
The issue I have with the Ami in the UK is the fact that we don't get any license advantages for the lack of speed unlike France where you don't even need one. They might as well make a 50 mph model for the UK market as this will be more tolerable for other drivers. The Twizzy is better for speed but worse than the Ami when it comes to comforts. Have you thought of an anti frost cover? If there isn't one you could buy a car size one and make your own.
A faster model would need different type approval - given it was never meant to be sold here and only brought here due to massive demand that's very unlikely. Good point on a cover (although I do hate car covers with a passion) - I believe there's a genuine Citroen one available in France, which I assume can be ordered in to a dealer here too.
@@ModernHeroes I just bought one off amazon for my auris and I can say they work. You make a good point about classification although the twizzy does 50 mph here in the uk so it's certainly doable.
@@ceasarsalad119 You could possibly mod a Pylontech battery in the massive space behind the rear bumper. Another 4.8kWh would definitely improve the range! 😂 It's more likely somebody will do a mod like this when somebody's battery pack dies and Citroen want something stupid like £5k to replace it. You can buy the Pylontech US5000 for about £1700 and should be good for 40 miles.
Looking cold in there.. I have been unfortunate in the last 4 weeks to have had 2 screws in my tyres. The car in question was a company motor covered by the rac. We are a massive corporate and are meant to get priority service I waited 4 hours first time . 3 days the second time and had to chase ! The service is dismal from rac they are always trying to punt battery’s as soon as they know it’s a company car.. The Volvo this week had a Message screen saying reduced drive and range the 402 hp reined in a bit which to be fair has been welcomed. Finally did complain to Volvo re car it buzzes when not radio on or anything it’s terrible Volvo have no fix anyone else experienced this seems really common online .Thanks for the update
@@ModernHeroes yes because I had limped home stopping to top up the tyre (at least 6 times)on way home from a work meeting about 110miles total , RAC classed it as off the road and safe so they kept pushing it back and back in the end I spat the dummy and insisted they come as the vehicle was non operational. I was so glad I had packed my Makita battery pump compressor as it was a god send for all the top ups required!
City of London Police pulled me up in my new Citroen Ami. “We need to check out your kit-car, Sir”. They claimed I’d built it myself. I wish! Ten mins later I escaped. I’ve asked Citroen UK to re-educate the authorities.
Some time ago I asked you if it is possible to run the heater when the car is parked up and on charge, to "pre-heat" the car in the morning, before setting off. You replied and said you would look into this. Did you ever answer the question because I might have missed it?
The low temperature performance drop is really weird. IIRC the Ami has a battery heater it could use, intended for low temperature charging but just as useful for discharging if 5C is really the turtle threshold.
Cold reduces the performance of every lithium ion battery wether it’s you phone or a car, clearly the ami has software to protect the battery if it goes below a certain temperature
@Chatters 79 well sure but +5C? I thought the Ami had lifepo4/LFP batteries, those will safely discharge at -20C. So why the overzealous software that doesn't engage the battery heater?
@Chatters 79 I've heard you can turn on the cabin heater while the car is plugged in and locked, that's an easier but lower power option. In this weather I'm glad I picked a Leaf over an Ami.
Glad to see your Ami is back. We have been experiencing the beep and slo-mo mode; hazard lights on helps in that situation particularly on a 40 mph road we have to occasionally use! You mentioned a user manual, we didn't receive a physical copy, did you?
@@ModernHeroes I've never managed to add the Ami to the My Citroën App as it always shows VIN unknown when it's the correct VIN; I reached out to the Ami team and they referred me to the dealer, they were as much use as a chocolate fireguard so I've given up on it as I was losing the will to live!! 😊
Glad to see it's back, very strange about the cold weather conditions causing such a drop. Did you test the window clear products if so which one was best?
It sucks for sure! I hope it's not too much of an issue though, i choose Ami over a vespa GT purely because fuck using a bike in this miserable weather! I would recomend just getting some good fitting leather gloves, i used my pair when i was busting around in my 18 year old subaru vivio, and found they were much nicer to drive with, so gonna be using those for the Ami. I guess they are like the old style driving gloves. On the plus side, toughing it out in this weather is a testiment to the sharpness of your pencil ✏️ 😉
Thank you for the cold weather performance update. Looking forward to more of them. Also interested in any attempts you make to improve performance. Is there a lower temperature limit where it won't charge at all, or where it won't drive, even with full battery? I have a Tesla Model 3, and it definitely reduce performance with cold battery, especially noticable with rege braking being reduced, driving performance and range can be reduced too but not posing a problem in the same way. Charging is always possible, but it might be slower or delay while heating the battery.
@@MyKharli then we just need a battery heater. The local weather station just measured about -15 °C the other night here. Even if the themperature mostly is between -5 an 5 °C during the winter here, we want something we can use during the coldest weeks too.
Judging by other EV forums, the average EV range loss in these temperatures seems to be around 25% compared with summer, although some Audi drivers report only losing about 15%, which seems really good. I knew to expect this when buying a 500e last December, so not a big deal for me. Fair play to your garage who have done all that anyone could ask for to work around the teething issues with your Ami. Glad to see it back!
All electric cars are going to suffer in cold spells, because batteries work on chemical reactions that degrade with low temperatures. Surely that should be common knowledge, but clearly is not. The lack of a spare wheel is a crazy modern idea that is said to reduce weight; but , of course, also reduces manufacturing costs. I bought a used Toyota iQ, and immediately bought a used space-saver wheel from another small Toyota model , which fitted the iQ's hub. I managed to squeeze that wheel , safely, inside the iQ. Also , the ridiculous tyre gunge , which is usually useless, also has a short storage life and needs renewing at fairly short intervals. Furthermore, some breakdown companies insist that ones' car has a spare wheel, if they are called out to sort out a puncture.
Hey hope your good, when you pushing the old junk vids with the old cars Like in the past love ev stuff but old junk is better in my book no hate just love ❤️
About 3 years ago, I traveled to the UK and met up with a friend who had a "Lease car" that was electric powered. It too went into Tortoise mode when the temperature was below 5 degrees. I can't see myself purchasing an electric car until technology has created a more reliable form of "Power Storage." My friends children had to catch the bus in cold weather because the lease car didn't have enough power to carry four people in very cold weather!
@@ModernHeroes It was a Nissan leaf. I guess it wasn't my own experience but this was what I was told by my friend who had the car. (In Scotland.) I would say that I have a number of petrol powered vehicles in my garage. They all have battery maintainers and it is an observable fact that in very cold weather, all of the batteries have less "Energy" in them. The battery maintainers have calibrated readouts and compared to the summer, there's less energy stored in cold weather. I have years of experience of looking after my batteries.
The internal combustion engine is going to be around for a long time, despite all the adverts trying to persuade us to rush out and buy a 'cool' and very expensive EV. Until the back room boffins manage to offer a battery powered car that is impervious to cold, can be charged in a few minutes and doesn't weigh as much as a small tank, the mass migration to all electric vehicles will remain just a politician's pipe dream.
EVs except the AMI.. can suffer with battery cold and heat problems and will limp in the extremes of both, especially those with poor battery management systems, some but not all leaf, Hyundai and Ora cat for instance. Tesla and BMW i3 never suffer from this I’ve run and charged from -8c to +40c with no coldgate or heatgate problems. Loss of range yes, loss of performance no.
Have had success with it in the past and heard good things from others about it too but YMMV. Some punctures just can't be sealed with any of these products though, like the Peugeot provided kit in the e208.
I'm wondering as to what bodgy bits they're assembling these Amis with. I'm guessing that both bearings and tyres originate from the far east (unfortunately, Japan not included). Warranty repairs must cost Citroen much more, than if they had just assembled them using quality bearings manufactured in civilized countries. This is just one more example of corporate false economy. I'm guessing that their intention was that these rubbish bits would fail well after the warranties ran out. I haven't had a tyre puncture for decades now. Which tyre brand are they and what is the tyre's country of origin? These battery types don't like cold. Once you start operating the vehicle, the battery will warm itself up, making discharging more efficient. I'm awaiting the day when solid state battery packs can be assembled by vehicle owners, in order to replace these comparitively heavy inefficient units. Installing one of the following space heaters of which is fired by Diesel fuel could be the answer to low cabin temperatures. They will also run on less expensive home-heating fuel or even rancid plant oil or that from your chips fryer: www.shpock.com/de-at/i/YayqpqkmxjHZTuTs/webasto-standheizung I inquired about purchsing an Ami, at my local Citroen dealership. They haven't even heard of one. It seems, that's the only Citroen readilly available, due to chip shortage affecting all the other models of which deliveries are backlogged for an entire year. I could by the Opel version of the Ami. But, I don't like their appearance. It would be best, when these could be bought as a kit ready to assemble. In which case, poor assembly quality would no longer exist and the buyer could assemble it with the bearings and tyres of his or her choice. Disassembled, the vehicle should also cost much less
The puncture I had was on the Peugeot E-208 courtesy car and it’s Michelin tyres, not Ami (which has Barum tyres fitted, hardly some fly by night). I think it’s a massive stretch to try and link tyre manufacturer to the likelihood of getting punctures! Motor is made by Valeo, again, not exactly some unknown supplier.
@@ModernHeroes Valeo is a long-established company. Unfortunately, even name brand companies have started to cut corners. For example, I have recently replaced the trigger switch on an over 20 year old made in Switzerland Bosch drill. Believe it or not, there are over 1000 pages of bits still available for older Bosch drills. The brushes were still good, despite severe use. Just a couple of weeks ago, I visited a building supplies store, searching for a more powerfull drill, for drilling through stubborn concrete. To my disappointment, Makita products are now made in China. It's impossible, to obtain an original Japanese-made drill, unless it is used. Or maybe, if travelling to Japan. Steel-belted tyres of all makes are definitely puncture-resistant. But there are nonetheless significant discrepancies in both wear factor and traction qualities, between brands
If it's any consolation my diesel 208 refused to start this morning...it couldn't cope with a -9C overnight temperature.
Well the spare wheel at home could be an option. It's not likely you will be that far from home, so a family member could bring it to you. Worst case you could get an Uber home and back if you didn't want to wait for the RAC/AA etc.
As for the cold weather issue. If I lived somewhere that would regularly get below zero I would probably mod a heating mat to the battery. You can get a 1.2m X 0.5m 100w plant heat pad from Amazon for £34. Use a smart plug to turn it on when you go to bed. Even on full rate electric it would cost less than 27p to run for 8 hours. With Octopus Go half of that would be at cheap rate so around 18p.
I thought it was permanently in Turtle mode. 😆
Strange the Ami reducing speed in the cold. Our Twizy has similar size battery and still gives full speed in very cold temperatures, given Amis lower top speed and power requirement it really shouldn't be a problem. Sounds like Citroen are being a bit over cautious.
They probably opted to just replace the engine instead of diagnosing the issue so that they could send the old engine fully intact to the company so that they can tear it down and see what issues it had and if this is a one off or a possible issue that could be a problem in every one of these engines. When I worked at a Chevrolet dealer in the USA when going to college there were times when a car/ truck would come in with an engine or transmission fault and as they were still under warranty, GM would just tell the dealer to send it back with no tear down so they could tear it down there. They would then send a new engine for the vehicle.
good to see that little buddy is back home. pups like to be in the living room in front of a warm fire these days.
It makes me wonder if it is worth it. My 2017, 24Kw Nissan Leaf, made a trip of 63 miles yesterday in -12c temperature with the climate control set at 21C without an issue. Certainly more comfortable than an AMI for not much more money!
They’re not even slightly the same thing 🤷♂️ my 2005 diesel Audi A8 could do it significantly more comfortably than your Leaf but I wouldn’t compare them because they’re not comparable.
Good news spoke to the ami team and my pop is in transit from the PSA plant in kenitra, just got to go through the pre delivery inspection in Kent😀
How long ago did you order?
@@marmac567 ordered mid July, delivery was due beginning of October
@@chatters7969 so how long did it take from order until you got it??
@@marmac567 still haven’t got it….
@@chatters7969 😯,,,, I was gonna order, but can't wait that long,,,
First thing I did went I bought my most recent car was buy a spare wheel and tyre for it and get rid of that can of gunge.
I have always fitted an emergency spare wheel where one was not supplied. I even fitted one to my first Nissan LEAF (a dealer rip-off) complete with (nephew-made) custom boot shelf.
Obviously, I have since transferred it to my LEAF e+.
I think that the RAC delay that you experienced was ridiculously long and totally unacceptable. These scandalous times should be publicised.
Green Flag could possibly have been much better but you didn't have that choice. Surely your Renault dealer should have helped out.
Hi there. Thanks for this. I’ve just had the exact same cold weather issue and had a notion that’s what was happening! Again, switching it off and on helped! I still love it, it’s exactly what I needed it for.
When a Scotsman has been living 'down south' for such a long time, that he describes -7 Celsius as "super cold"!
😆 I’m from the Central Belt, -7 *IS* super cold!
In my 'new' car, there being just an inflation kit in a recess for a spare tyre led to me immediately sourcing a used emergency wheel/tyre and a jack (£35 off ebay). Peace of mind on long journeys!
Me too, it absolutely makes sense especially if there is a wheel well as there is in my 'new' Corsa D.
@9:57 not suprising consibering there is no thermol management, as said a charge before departing, not sure a garage would help as it still gets cold unless its a heated garage of course.
Glad Ami is back. I have a colleague with a Tesla and she reports that as well as a range drop, performance has been affected below -10 and regen is reduced automatically to reduce the risk of sliding.
Other EVs do go into turtle mode at low battery and will immobilize when battery is totally drained. Most have a safety factor even when 0% is indicated.
You can get ‘Slime’ which does similar job to tyre weld, it can be used a preventative measure too. I use it used on my eBike, saves the worry
Hmm. 🤔 In my (grumpy) experience of riding the same regular pedal bicycle in the north of England for 17 years, tyre goo, Slime, etc only ever works on the punctures they demo at exhibitions and in bike shops, but never on the real ones you get (after dark, in the rain) out on the road.
In EVERY instance, my punctures have been the ones that the compound can't quite handle.
Hawthorn - the Yorkshire caltrop - is the bane of my life.
I've tried all the so-called remedies, from gunk, slime and sludge, to 'guaranteed puncture-proof' super-tough kevlar tyres. I've tried solid rubber tyres, which didn't have any air in them to lose, but their solid nature transferred massive shocks through to the wheel hubs and bearings, which cracked and failed.
I've tried stretchy protective strips, squidgy bands, and even several old inner tubes cut into ribbons and layered between the tyre and the tube. Nothing works.
So I carry two spare tubes and a puncture repair kit. I've got no faith in miracle cures.
I have the same gloves.
Here in western Canada, we're having a cold snap with snow. It's unusual here. My gas powered Hyundai started very slowly this morning. Cold weather affects every kind of propulsion.
Your Ami has almost the same reg plate as mine so i wonder whether they share issues. Mine is in the dealership at the moment. Still waiting to hear what's happening or get an update. No courtesy car. Been there for 12 days! Recalls and sorting out power loss etc amongst other things. Rubber hinges on windows had turned inside out aswell. Lots of niggles but still love it. Like a rogue puppy.
Seems pretty much all of them are now subject to a recall. Be interested to hear more about power loss issues - none of that here outside of the usual cold weather stuff they all suffer from 🤔
I'm sure you originally compared the Ami to commuting by bike or bus so the cold weather performance is still comparable to the competition really.
Yeah I’d say so. I do wish it didn’t slow down as much as it does though.
@@ModernHeroes Well I slow down on my bike when it's icy!
@@FakeConcernfair one! Think it was you who suggested it previously - planning on doing some journey time comparison videos of different transport types once I can rope in a willing volunteer 👀
Oi, Citroën! Noooo! I refuse to call it 'turtle' mode. Look at the yellow icon: the creature clearly has feet, so it's a tortoise! 🐢
Pardon my sweeping generalisation, but a turtle is a marine chelonian with flippers and no claws; a terrapin is a freshwater chelonian with clawed, webbed feet. I, on the other hand, am a pedantic cow with an attitude problem. 🐄👀
I feel they need to make it law to have a spare wheel in cars again, had a recent puncture with my car which couldn’t be plugged, had a stressful week getting a tow for my car to the garage. Had punctures before but always had a spare wheel to bail me out 😬
I think an ami shell with two motorcycle 7kw 72v hub wheels and your own batteries be great .
Had you considered fabricating an insulated jacket for the batteries? This would help protect them from the cold, although it would be important not to get them too hot as a result!
Different strokes for different folks. If it could do 50MPH like the Twizy and had a better heater, it would be a viable vehicle. As it is with a tiny heater, 28MPH on a good say and less in the cold, it's got just too many compromises for what it costs - in my opinion.
I think car manufacturers do themselves a disservice by making vehicles with such fundamental flaws. Citroen need to tap up their 2CV frugality heritage and make a cheap EV for the masses, that can actually go on a motorway, go a modest distance and still keep you warm & dry.
weather will be warmer by saturday - heading your way and cardiff is 8-9 deg at lunctime so glos should be similar - dorset ftw - big coat fail tho lol from the house to the car id have put it on hehe
Selling cars without spare wheels these days is a disgrace. Just to save a few pounds or add a little extra mpg or miles per volt.?
They say it's to save weight but obviously it's to save money. First 'accessory' I buy when I purchase a car these days.
I don’t think you can compare the Ami with a car, it’s more of a motorcycle really so compare how cold you would be on a motorcycle, likewise would you use a motorcycle in really bad weather, snow & ice. Don’t be too hard on it,
Haven't really had any serious issues during this cold snap - one or two slow hill climbs and some slow charging but considering how cold it's been I'd say all in all performance has been better than expected - but then my Ami is kept in a garage. There's enough room to get a spare tyre in if you take the back panel off - but not sure that would really work in practice. Will look at Tyreweld for emergencies. PS Great video. Keep up the good work.
Gary, you need to get your Amy looking a little more colourful. Get those stickers and other extras as soon as poss will make you feel even better. Terry
I guess ICE cars have their cold weather issues, hadn't started the i10 for a week, battery low, washers frozen etc. These temperatures are fairly exceptional for December as well. I don't suppose the Morocco postal service has to worry about this though!
My Audi’s battery is struggling with these temps, it’s hard on its battery at the best of times being rather complex.
tortoise mode! unless your ami is good at swimming! 🤣
Despite a thousand smart arses pointing this out, try googling it and you’ll see the widely used term for this is “turtle mode” regardless.
Just to add that once only has my MG ZSEV (20) gone into battery protection mode when very cold and at 10% charge, this week!
This is not really a surprise to me, no different to when I got running in this weather with my iPhone on a quad lock arm strap and the battery gets destroyed by the cold.
I have my 300w ALLPOWERS battery pack and 150w mini desktop PCT heater to pre heat the ami. Will also turn on the charge with my wifi plug 30 mins before use to warm the battery.
Nice to see Ami back
Only 300 miles on the motor? Now I feel de-throned because the engine of my brand-new Royal Enfield died after just 2500km back then in 2012. 😇 I reckon that Ami comes with zero thermal management of the battery (like Twizy) and unlike bigger EV. That sweater of yours must be the super-duper-insulating-miracle-fabric-kind-from-outer-space thing...can't believe you're sitting in the AMI at minus something with something on that looks so thin. 😬 Getting shivers just from watching. bbbrrrrrrr 🥶
the turtle icon is bigger than the car.
for a car that only gets to 30mph any drop is really bad for speed. every one is going to think you are a very old person driving slowly.
you could take it into the living room to keep it warm in front of the fire. hehe
or buy it a big glove to put it in
I’ve really missed your videos Gary. Very informative and those gloves are huge!!! It reminded me of jazz hands. I expect you will be using Rain X when it’s warmer. Can you use de-icer on the Ami? The engine area looks very open under there.
No reason why you can't use de-icer although I've never been a fan of it, find it's quite harsh on window seals and stuff longer term.
Yeah that’s what I was thinking. I use lukewarm water to melt the ice or a large piece of cardboard or flour bag works too!
sounds like your next upgrade will be a garage / lean to, to give you some space the keep the battery from getting too cold.
Already got a garage, it’s got another car in it 😆
@@ModernHeroes TBF at the rate you keep picking up. . . unlovable, very preloved chariots, you'll need Jay Leno's garage.
9:50 - In my experience (2x Citroën Visas, one Ford Fiesta, one Nissan Micra), old-school petrol cars only lose range in cold weather if they're driven unsympathetically. Dress warmly, de-ice by hand, turn everything off, have a light right foot, and don't drive like a complete spanner and there's no reason why fuel consumption should increase.
Mine didn't.
I was poor enough to have to do fortnightly fuel/mileage sums, and saw no significant [sic] difference from summer to winter in the north of England. None of my cars had electric-anything or air-conditioning. They were all analogue, hence the tiresome manual fuel-consumption calculations.
Great to see it's back.
The issue I have with the Ami in the UK is the fact that we don't get any license advantages for the lack of speed unlike France where you don't even need one. They might as well make a 50 mph model for the UK market as this will be more tolerable for other drivers. The Twizzy is better for speed but worse than the Ami when it comes to comforts. Have you thought of an anti frost cover? If there isn't one you could buy a car size one and make your own.
A faster model would need different type approval - given it was never meant to be sold here and only brought here due to massive demand that's very unlikely.
Good point on a cover (although I do hate car covers with a passion) - I believe there's a genuine Citroen one available in France, which I assume can be ordered in to a dealer here too.
@@ModernHeroes I just bought one off amazon for my auris and I can say they work. You make a good point about classification although the twizzy does 50 mph here in the uk so it's certainly doable.
They could make it twice as fast but with half the range...!
@@markweatherill or they could have a bigger battery but then there may be design issues.
@@ceasarsalad119 You could possibly mod a Pylontech battery in the massive space behind the rear bumper. Another 4.8kWh would definitely improve the range! 😂
It's more likely somebody will do a mod like this when somebody's battery pack dies and Citroen want something stupid like £5k to replace it. You can buy the Pylontech US5000 for about £1700 and should be good for 40 miles.
Looking cold in there.. I have been unfortunate in the last 4 weeks to have had 2 screws in my tyres. The car in question was a company motor covered by the rac. We are a massive corporate and are meant to get priority service I waited 4 hours first time . 3 days the second time and had to chase ! The service is dismal from rac they are always trying to punt battery’s as soon as they know it’s a company car..
The Volvo this week had a Message screen saying reduced drive and range the 402 hp reined in a bit which to be fair has been welcomed. Finally did complain to
Volvo re car it buzzes when not radio on or anything it’s terrible Volvo have no fix anyone else experienced this seems really common online .Thanks for the update
THREE DAYS?!
@@ModernHeroes yes because I had limped home stopping to top up the tyre (at least 6 times)on way home from a work meeting about 110miles total , RAC classed it as off the road and safe so they kept pushing it back and back in the end I spat the dummy and insisted they come as the vehicle was non operational. I was so glad I had packed my Makita battery pump compressor as it was a god send for all the top ups required!
The RAC have been a shambles recently, sadly my lease cover involves them but I don’t think I use them again when I next breakdown
City of London Police pulled me up in my new Citroen Ami. “We need to check out your kit-car, Sir”. They claimed I’d built it myself. I wish! Ten mins later I escaped. I’ve asked Citroen UK to re-educate the authorities.
Some time ago I asked you if it is possible to run the heater when the car is parked up and on charge, to "pre-heat" the car in the morning, before setting off. You replied and said you would look into this. Did you ever answer the question because I might have missed it?
Seems it’ll only let you turn the heater on once it’s charged to 100% - so I don’t think remaining plugged in stops the range depleting.
The low temperature performance drop is really weird. IIRC the Ami has a battery heater it could use, intended for low temperature charging but just as useful for discharging if 5C is really the turtle threshold.
Cold reduces the performance of every lithium ion battery wether it’s you phone or a car, clearly the ami has software to protect the battery if it goes below a certain temperature
@Chatters 79 well sure but +5C? I thought the Ami had lifepo4/LFP batteries, those will safely discharge at -20C. So why the overzealous software that doesn't engage the battery heater?
@@CampGareth yep it does seem over cautious, and in this weather difficult to use the car
@@CampGareth before my morning commute I’m going to have to pre heat the ami with a fan heater and extension cable I recon
@Chatters 79 I've heard you can turn on the cabin heater while the car is plugged in and locked, that's an easier but lower power option. In this weather I'm glad I picked a Leaf over an Ami.
With the battery being as exposed as it is its not insulated, maybe Citreon or a modder could come up with something to help.
Hi, a quick sort of AMI related question. Is it possible to get the Opel Rocks-e in the UK? Is there a Vauxhall Rocks-e ?
Nope. Don’t think there are any plans to offer it either.
Glad to see your Ami is back. We have been experiencing the beep and slo-mo mode; hazard lights on helps in that situation particularly on a 40 mph road we have to occasionally use!
You mentioned a user manual, we didn't receive a physical copy, did you?
Manual is digital only - accessible via the My Citroen app and there's also a PDF copy knocking around online somewhere.
@@ModernHeroes I've never managed to add the Ami to the My Citroën App as it always shows VIN unknown when it's the correct VIN; I reached out to the Ami team and they referred me to the dealer, they were as much use as a chocolate fireguard so I've given up on it as I was losing the will to live!! 😊
Is there enough room behind the driver's seat to put a space saver wheel?
Glad to see it's back, very strange about the cold weather conditions causing such a drop. Did you test the window clear products if so which one was best?
Not yet - keep finding other things that take priority!
Have you not watched his video before commenting as he does mention it at 11:03.
@@sib4897 yes I watched till the end a realise he answered the question to quick on the comments, I have to or I forget to do it
Put wheel on the top?
Question: Could you use the heater to defrost while plugged in and AMI on but in neutral?
Only if the battery is fully charged. Doesn’t allow you to turn the heater on if it’s plugged in and actually charging.
It sucks for sure! I hope it's not too much of an issue though, i choose Ami over a vespa GT purely because fuck using a bike in this miserable weather! I would recomend just getting some good fitting leather gloves, i used my pair when i was busting around in my 18 year old subaru vivio, and found they were much nicer to drive with, so gonna be using those for the Ami. I guess they are like the old style driving gloves. On the plus side, toughing it out in this weather is a testiment to the sharpness of your pencil ✏️ 😉
Thank you for the cold weather performance update. Looking forward to more of them.
Also interested in any attempts you make to improve performance.
Is there a lower temperature limit where it won't charge at all, or where it won't drive, even with full battery?
I have a Tesla Model 3, and it definitely reduce performance with cold battery, especially noticable with rege braking being reduced, driving performance and range can be reduced too but not posing a problem in the same way. Charging is always possible, but it might be slower or delay while heating the battery.
You will damage your battery if trying to charge anything below -7, i would say -5 to be safe .
@@MyKharli then we just need a battery heater. The local weather station just measured about -15 °C the other night here.
Even if the themperature mostly is between -5 an 5 °C during the winter here, we want something we can use during the coldest weeks too.
Judging by other EV forums, the average EV range loss in these temperatures seems to be around 25% compared with summer, although some Audi drivers report only losing about 15%, which seems really good. I knew to expect this when buying a 500e last December, so not a big deal for me.
Fair play to your garage who have done all that anyone could ask for to work around the teething issues with your Ami. Glad to see it back!
Members on the MG4 forum (MGEVs forum) are reporting range losses of between 20 ~ 30%.
Our Kona 64 is similar in these sub zero temperatures, Almost all down to keeping warm. Taking our 4 to 4.5 miles/kWh to around 3.5.
Did they fit your cargo net while it was in? 🤔
No - I forgot to update on this though, Citroen UK sent me the missing parts and I fitted the net and bag hook the other day.
Yay!
How is it possible for an Ami to have any more reduced performance than it already has. Might as well walk.
All electric cars are going to suffer in cold spells, because batteries work on chemical reactions that degrade with low temperatures. Surely that should be common knowledge, but clearly is not. The lack of a spare wheel is a crazy modern idea that is said to reduce weight; but , of course, also reduces manufacturing costs. I bought a used Toyota iQ, and immediately bought a used space-saver wheel from another small Toyota model , which fitted the iQ's hub. I managed to squeeze that wheel , safely, inside the iQ. Also , the ridiculous tyre gunge , which is usually useless, also has a short storage life and needs renewing at fairly short intervals. Furthermore, some breakdown companies insist that ones' car has a spare wheel, if they are called out to sort out a puncture.
Hey hope your good, when you pushing the old junk vids with the old cars
Like in the past love ev stuff but old junk is better in my book no hate just love ❤️
Ps what is your accent?
About 3 years ago, I traveled to the UK and met up with a friend who had a "Lease car" that was electric powered. It too went into Tortoise mode when the temperature was below 5 degrees. I can't see myself purchasing an electric car until technology has created a more reliable form of "Power Storage." My friends children had to catch the bus in cold weather because the lease car didn't have enough power to carry four people in very cold weather!
What type of car? Never heard of anyone having these issues with any other type of EV.
@@ModernHeroes It was a Nissan leaf. I guess it wasn't my own experience but this was what I was told by my friend who had the car. (In Scotland.) I would say that I have a number of petrol powered vehicles in my garage. They all have battery maintainers and it is an observable fact that in very cold weather, all of the batteries have less "Energy" in them. The battery maintainers have calibrated readouts and compared to the summer, there's less energy stored in cold weather. I have years of experience of looking after my batteries.
The internal combustion engine is going to be around for a long time, despite all the adverts trying to persuade us to rush out and buy a 'cool' and very expensive EV. Until the back room boffins manage to offer a battery powered car that is impervious to cold, can be charged in a few minutes and doesn't weigh as much as a small tank, the mass migration to all electric vehicles will remain just a politician's pipe dream.
Wow, you got all that from being told about some issues with one of the cheapest, least capable vehicles on the market. Big brain stuff here.
EVs except the AMI.. can suffer with battery cold and heat problems and will limp in the extremes of both, especially those with poor battery management systems, some but not all leaf, Hyundai and Ora cat for instance. Tesla and BMW i3 never suffer from this I’ve run and charged from -8c to +40c with no coldgate or heatgate problems. Loss of range yes, loss of performance no.
So not suitable for the UK winter I would reject it
🤷♂️ Meh.
Do you regret buying an Ami ?
Every night I cry myself to sleep knowing I'll never see my £8000 again, it's awful. /s
@@ModernHeroes lol
RTFM. Please. Nobody that matters will laugh at you.
Don’t buy the Holts stuff - it’s crap!
Have had success with it in the past and heard good things from others about it too but YMMV. Some punctures just can't be sealed with any of these products though, like the Peugeot provided kit in the e208.
I love your videos, but to be honest the Ami has proved itself to be absolute rubbish
I'm wondering as to what bodgy bits they're assembling these Amis with. I'm guessing that both bearings and tyres originate from the far east (unfortunately, Japan not included). Warranty repairs must cost Citroen much more, than if they had just assembled them using quality bearings manufactured in civilized countries. This is just one more example of corporate false economy. I'm guessing that their intention was that these rubbish bits would fail well after the warranties ran out.
I haven't had a tyre puncture for decades now. Which tyre brand are they and what is the tyre's country of origin?
These battery types don't like cold. Once you start operating the vehicle, the battery will warm itself up, making discharging more efficient. I'm awaiting the day when solid state battery packs can be assembled by vehicle owners, in order to replace these comparitively heavy inefficient units.
Installing one of the following space heaters of which is fired by Diesel fuel could be the answer to low cabin temperatures. They will also run on less expensive home-heating fuel or even rancid plant oil or that from your chips fryer: www.shpock.com/de-at/i/YayqpqkmxjHZTuTs/webasto-standheizung
I inquired about purchsing an Ami, at my local Citroen dealership. They haven't even heard of one. It seems, that's the only Citroen readilly available, due to chip shortage affecting all the other models of which deliveries are backlogged for an entire year. I could by the Opel version of the Ami. But, I don't like their appearance.
It would be best, when these could be bought as a kit ready to assemble. In which case, poor assembly quality would no longer exist and the buyer could assemble it with the bearings and tyres of his or her choice. Disassembled, the vehicle should also cost much less
The puncture I had was on the Peugeot E-208 courtesy car and it’s Michelin tyres, not Ami (which has Barum tyres fitted, hardly some fly by night). I think it’s a massive stretch to try and link tyre manufacturer to the likelihood of getting punctures!
Motor is made by Valeo, again, not exactly some unknown supplier.
@@ModernHeroes Valeo is a long-established company. Unfortunately, even name brand companies have started to cut corners. For example, I have recently replaced the trigger switch on an over 20 year old made in Switzerland Bosch drill. Believe it or not, there are over 1000 pages of bits still available for older Bosch drills. The brushes were still good, despite severe use. Just a couple of weeks ago, I visited a building supplies store, searching for a more powerfull drill, for drilling through stubborn concrete. To my disappointment, Makita products are now made in China. It's impossible, to obtain an original Japanese-made drill, unless it is used. Or maybe, if travelling to Japan.
Steel-belted tyres of all makes are definitely puncture-resistant. But there are nonetheless significant discrepancies in both wear factor and traction qualities, between brands