A team of French adventurers set off from Paris on Wednesday in a fleet of compact Citroën electric cars, embarking on an ambitious journey across Africa with Cape Town as their final destination, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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A century after André Citroën’s legendary expedition, four autonomous electric Citroën AMIs will embark on the 14 000 km La Croisière Verte (The Green Cruise) across Africa, celebrating mobility’s past and future.
The AMI, an ultra-light and energy-efficient electric car, is ideal for transforming into an expedition buggy.
For La Croisière Verte, its range will be extended to 250 km (from 70 km) to meet the journey’s demands.
The four Citroën AMIs will carry essential equipment, including solar kits, tools, spare parts, and supplies.
The expedition will officially depart on October 28 from Morocco, where the AMI is built.
Expedition leader Éric Vigouroux, entrepreneur and former Dakar Rally racer, is marking the centenary of the original journey with these electric cars powered by renewable energy.
Joining him are ex-co-driver Alexandre Winocq, rally expert Antonia de Roissard, and Maarten van Pel, who crossed Africa in an electric Skoda SUV in 2023.
Director Claudio von Planta, known for his work with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman in The Long Way Up, will film the expedition from his electric motorcycle.
For these members, the aim is to cover around 200km a day at an average speed of 45kph.
Along the route, the solar, hydroelectric and wind plants identified will also be used as charge points.
Vigouroux says the idea emerged two years ago after discovering an old book titled The Black Cruise.
The book revealed André Citroën’s incredible achievement of leading the first successful crossing of Africa with eight specially prepared cars – a remarkable feat for its time.
‘His intention was to prove the performance and the reliability of technologies of that period. The triumphal arrival of the 8 autochenilles in Madagascar on 26 June 1925, after 8 months of adventure, had a worldwide impact,’ says Vigouroux.
The expedition aims to inspire the younger generation, promote eco-responsible adventure, and showcase mid-size vehicles as symbols of fun and ecological awareness.
It also seeks to highlight Africa’s potential to adopt new technologies, support renewable energy initiatives, and discuss the continent’s existing energy infrastructures for further development.
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Picture: La Croisière Verte / Facebook
