Solar-Powered Citroën AMIs to Embark on Epic African Adventure

Image Credit: La Croisière Verte.

Citroën is about to embark on an adventure that's as quirky as it is ambitious. A fleet of four Citroën AMI electric quadricycles (yes, those adorable little things that look like they escaped from a Pixar movie) is gearing up for a 8,389-mile (13,500 km) journey called La Croisière Verte. This is as far as it gets from your average Sunday drive; they're going from the tippy-top of Africa all the way down to the bottom, proving that even the tiniest EVs can have a big impact.

You might be wondering how these little guys, who at best can manage around 40 miles on one charge, are going to tackle such a mammoth journey. Well, they've got a secret weapon: solar power. Each AMI is packing a whopping 5,600 W of solar panels, which they'll set up along the way for some good old-fashioned static charging. Basically, it's a road trip with a built-in sunbathing session.

Image Credit: La Croisière Verte.

The brains behind this escapade are Éric Vigouroux, a French entrepreneur who's traded in his Dakar Rally car for something a bit more eco-friendly, and Maarten van Pel, a Dutch engineer who's no stranger to electric adventures. They'll be setting off in October, a century after some other intrepid explorers took on Africa in Citroën vehicles. This time, though, there's a green twist.

The idea of showing the world that adventure doesn't have to come at the cost of the environment and can be fun even with a small electric vehicle? I gotta say … I'm a bit smitten with the idea myself.

Image Credit: La Croisière Verte.

So, what's the game plan? These intrepid adventurers will be cruising at a leisurely 28 mph (45 km/h), covering about 124 miles (200 km) a day in two shifts. They'll drive in the early mornings and late afternoons, leaving plenty of time for those solar panels to soak up some rays during peak sunlight hours. It's a well-choreographed dance between man, machine, and the sun.

While the AMIs do have some solar panels on their roofs, the real magic happens with those portable packs they're carrying. Each one unfolds onto a mounting rack, and when you combine all 40 (not a typo - forty solar panels!) of them, you're looking at a whopping 22 kW of solar power. These aren't your everyday panels either; they're custom-designed, ultra-thin, and made with some fancy monocrystalline technology.

Image Credit: La Croisière Verte.

Of course, even the most glamorous solar panels need a bit of help, so the team has equipped the AMIs with a simple MPPT (that's a Maximum Power Point Tracker, for those keeping score) and some 48 V battery charging electronics. It's all very clever, but thankfully, not too complicated.

The AMIs themselves have been given a bit of an upgrade for this adventure. The standard 6 kWh battery has been replaced with a bigger one, extending the range from a paltry 70 km (43 miles) to a more respectable 250 km (155 miles). They've also added in-wheel motors to the rear wheels and given the chassis quite a bit of a lift for extra ground clearance. These little guys are ready to take on anything Africa throws at them.

Image Credit: La Croisière Verte.

Let it sink in for a minute. A fleet of solar-powered Citroën AMIs is about to embark on an epic African adventure, proving that even the most unconventional vehicles can make a difference. It's a story of innovation, sustainability, and a whole lot of fun. And who knows, maybe it'll even inspire a few of us to rethink our own road trips. After all, why settle for the highway when you can have the whole continent as your playground? Wait… why is my husband browsing websites and looking for used AMIs?!