“THE DESIRE TO MOVE FORWARD, TO SHARE, TO DREAM AND TO BELIEVE!” This the slogan of La Croisière Verte (Green adventure cruise), where Citroën will cross Africa in its latest electric AMI city car to show its commitment to sustainability and the capabilities of electric vehicles.
The adventure will start in France and will proceed along the African West Coast all the way to the end in Cape Town. With zero-emissions, the team will cover 15 African countries over a distance of 13 500 km.
La Croisière Verte is also the 100-year celebration of another milestone when the founder of the brand, André Citroën, organised an incredible expedition across Africa in 1924. The ambitious and risky objective for that time was to cross the entire African continent from north to south for the first time in cars.
The model chosen for the new adventure is the Citroën AMI, a vehicle produced in Morocco, where it is also distributed, as well as throughout Europe. Extremely light and energy efficient, the AMI is one of the most compact electric cars on the market.
Its simple design around a tubular chassis is an ideal basis for turning it into a real little electric expedition buggy. The AMI will be specially prepared for this challenge, with its range extended to 250 km (from the original 70 km). The aim is to cover around 200 km a day at an average speed of 45 km/h.
La Croisière Verte will consist of four Citroën AMIs to carry all the equipment needed for the expedition (solar kit, spare parts, tools, food, water, etc).
The official start of the expedition will take place from Ouarzazate in France on 28 October 2024, 100 years to the day after the departure of André Citroën's Croisière Noire (Citroën Central Africa Expedition). The arrival of the latest expedition will be in mid-January in Cape Town.
The portable solar power station specially developed for La Croisière Verte consists of 40 foldable and tiltable modules per AMI that takes 15 minutes to set up and are made from composite materials. The battery charge time is 5/6 hours for a range of around 300 km.
La Croisière Verte 2024 will be used to meet players in the motor sector, students and associations involved in renewable energies and working on tomorrow's mobility.
The manufacturer says the initiative, particularly in the sector of renewable energy production, will be used to highlight the African continent's capacity to integrate new technologies. They will also discuss existing renewable energy infrastructures and promote their development.
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You can't buy happiness but you can buy cars and that's kind of the same thing.
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South Africa's new energy vehicle market is becoming increasingly diverse, with plug in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and fully electric vehicles gaining ground while traditional hybrids remain the largest category.
As South Africans celebrate their rich heritage, it is also worth reflecting on a lesser-known chapter of the country's history: its long connection with electric vehicles (EVs).
For most of driving history, the sound of excitement has been orchestrated by the internal combustion engine (ICE).
