Ford is gearing up to kick off sales of its electric E-Transit van, a full-size delivery vehicle that in its longest and tallest format can swallow almost two of Citroën’s My Ami Cargo delivery vehicles. We are making this apples-to-elephants comparison because of the delightful contrast in recent EV cargo vehicle news. The Ami (in high-capacity passenger format, with room for two!) is about to make its debut in the United States as a rideshare rental in Washington D.C. and Portland, Oregon; the massive E-Transit begins public testing later this summer. Meanwhile, in France, the ridiculously tiny Ami is being pressed into delivery duty.
The My Ami Cargo offers a surprisingly capacious 14.0 cubic feet of cargo space in the place where the passenger seat used to be—roughly 2.8 percent of the largest E-Transit’s cargo volume. Still, compared to a couple of subcompact sedans’ trunks, the cargo space within the My Ami Cargo is fairly impressive: The 2021 Kia Rio sedan packs 13.7 cubes, while the 2021 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 only has 12.4 in its cargo hold.
The cargo area is thoughtfully constructed. There’s a vertical partition to separate the driver from the area previously reserved for a passenger, as well as a modular shelf that transforms into an ersatz work desk (it can also be removed to accommodate very tall items). A locking rear compartment stores small, valuable items out of sight.
It’s easy to laugh at the notion the Ami is large enough, even in France, to effectively transport cargo. Still, this little Citroën EV is large enough to carry a handful of small boxes or a few bunches of fresh flowers for delivery around an urban center. Citroën also points out that some workers frequently bounce between worksites without needing to carry a lot of tools—a worksite supervisor might just make the rounds with a laptop, some documents, and a hardhat. Or imagine a mobile locksmith working out of the center of a dense city. The Ami is more versatile and safer than, say, a scooter in those circumstances.
Like the regular Ami, the Cargo musters just over 8 hp from its electric powertrain and tops out at 28 mph. The 6-kWh battery provides around 46 miles of range (on the European cycle) and needs just three hours to fully recharge on a Level 2 charger. More importantly, the Ami Cargo is cheap as chips: $8,905—before local incentives—at today’s exchange rates. American companies are working on EV delivery vehicles in earnest. We doubt any My Ami Cargos are set to start running deliveries for the likes of Amazon around American towns, but we also wouldn’t rule it out.
