The most rational car on British roads

In the interests of saving money - not to mention the world - we need to view cars as we do toasters; useful tools as opposed to a lifestyle choice. The Citroen Ami aims to do just that and if you were being unkind, you might say it's styled like a kitchen appliance - so perhaps it's done half the job already. The main challenge the little electric car faces, however, is that it's perhaps just a little too practical.

The car industry makes a fortune convincing we drivers to make irrational decisions about our choice of vehicle. How else can you explain the huge popularity of SUVs, cars that are far less practical than the equivalent MPV? It's not even as if the size and power of most these vehicles tallies with the way they're used - 25 per cent of car trips are under 1 mile, and 71% under 5 miles...and most of those with only one or two people onboard.

As the world's cities wake up to the fact they need to dramatically reduce the pollution, road danger and congestion caused by cars, some motor manufacturers are attempting to reimagine the car. For its part, Citroën has launched the Ami - a quirky electric vehicle that costs £20 per month to own (based on £2,600 deposit).

Many will dismiss the Ami out of hand. Perhaps it's too radical a departure from the status quo.

We're not saying the Ami would work for everyone, but there'd be benefits for us all if we approached our choice of car in a more rational way. At the very least, it should encourage us all to question how we choose to travel.

The changing face of personal transport

There was a time when learning to drive and buying one's first car was a rite of passage, but in the age of e-scooters, e-bike share schemes and Uber, there has been a marked drop in car ownership among young people over the last generation.

Driving licensing among young people peaked in 1992/4, with 48 per cent of 17-20 year olds and 75 per cent of 21-29 year olds holding a driving licence. By 2014, driving licence holding had fallen to 29 per cent of 17-20 year olds and 63 per cent of 21-29 year olds. In 2010-14, only 37 per cent of 17-29 year olds reported driving a car in a typical week, whilst the figure was 46 per cent in 1995-99.

Small is beautiful

The Citroen Ami isn't classified as a car. Sometimes referred to as a micro car, a quadricycle is a four-wheeled vehicle with an unladen mass of not more than 400 kg (excluding batteries if it is an electric vehicle) and whose maximum continuous rated power does not exceed 15 kW.

There's a perception that large, heavy cars such as 4X4s or SUVs are safe, but they pose an increased risk to pedestrians in the event of a collision. Quadricycles on the other hand are designed to operate in urban areas at low speeds. The fact they are lighter than conventional cars makes them less of a risk to pedestrians and less damaging to the road surface. In fact, in areas where people live and work, there's a strong argument that any vehicle heavier and faster than a quadricycle poses an unacceptable risk.

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK's most ethical provider.