WeeklySA_AdminCUTE DINKY AMI
Revolutionary: Spectator value galore!
What a great pity that Citroen South Africa is not even contemplating launching this quirky electric cube car called the Ami quadricycle down here in Mzansi.
Just imagine how much fun it would be to swoosh past the ubiquitous Quantum taxis littering our roads in this pocket electric vehicle as you go about your ways – inevitably painting the town red!
Reports from Paris (not Parys in the Free State), where the Ami has been introduced as part of a rental scheme to promote cleaner transport in the cities, glowingly say like moth to a lamp it draws plenty of crowds and gawping onlookers.
A report from a London paper poignantly observes: “If you are a shrinking violet who likes to keep a low profile and hates being the centre of attention, then the Ami electric cube car is definitely not for you”.
The cute back-to-basics zero-emissions city car is a based on the iconic Citroen SCV that was launched in that “great” year of 1948.
And just in case there is a change of “gears” at Citroen SA, the Ami quadricycle could retail around R100 000 if it were to come to our shores.
With its measurable statistics, the Ami could just be one of the antidotes in our chock-a-block roads which could do with some much less traffic and the deadly carbon emissions.
It is battery powered.
FIRST MASS PRODUCED LAMBO
Spotted in London recently, the Sian is the first mass-produced hybrid car from Lamborghini. Touted as the electrified successor of the Aventador, the Sian is an exclusive car, with just 63 examples slated for production.
The car created chaos there. People were hovering around it the whole time, and why not? The Sian is nothing like Lamborghini’s recent builds.
But, it comes with styling cues inspired by the erstwhile Countach.
NEW PORSCHE MACAN REVVING
Word is out that Porsche has reworked the Macan, giving it a freshened appearance, reworked interior, updated functions and revised petrol engines. The line-up has also been reduced in number.
The styling changes are mild. A new front bumper incorporates an air duct shape intended to accentuate width and trim elements within the lower part of the doors gain a different texture. At the rear, a new bumper has a more prominent diffuser.
IZINYOKA TARGET EV’S
One can’t help it but be worried at what is likely to happen in South Africa when we go full electric mobility with growing concerns that a new type of car crime could hit the streets of Britain, as thieves target the nation’s growing number of electric vehicle owners.
A number of reports have suggested that there has already been a spike in cases of EV drivers having their charging cables pinched – the leads used to plug into a wallbox, public device or the mains to replenish the batteries in their cars.
Crafty thieves are fully aware of their value – and the worth of the metals inside the cables.
With many drivers leaving the leads unattended while they charge during the day and night or when they’re vehicles isn’t plugged in, izinyoka are snatching them and making away with the valuable cords that are worth around £200 (about R4 000) each. -London Daily Mail.
