An electrifying return for the Citroën Mehari, on sale for the summer. Brazen and irreverent, colourful and “plasticky” like the original, it now has a contemporary and sustainable soul. And 200 km of electric freedom.
A symbol of freedom, simplicity and carefree living, the Citroën Mehari spent years as the dream of many enthusiasts, all waiting for it to come back — much like the 2CV. We gave you a preview months ago; now, at last, one of the most extravagant cars in history has finally returned. The originality is still there, along with the desire to break the mould, to be different, to enjoy the journey in a simple and instinctive way. In fact, the E-Mehari, now arriving at dealerships after a longer-than-expected gestation, has gone even further: it has remained brazen and irreverent, colourful and "plasticky" like the original. But it has added a contemporary and sustainable soul — an electric one.
Built by Citroën in collaboration with Bolloré, a company specialising in the production of electric vehicles, the 2.0 reincarnation of the Mehari is now arriving at dealerships, priced at €25,990 — not exactly the affordable car that made its press debut in 1968, amid the chaos of a Paris ablaze during the French May (it was the height of the Sixty-Eight upheavals).
Originally, it had been conceived as a vehicle for work and leisure, one of the first examples of "modular transformism": it could change from a four-seat saloon to a cabriolet, or even into an almost pick-up style load carrier. Today it is electric, produces no emissions and makes no noise. In 1968 it had the Dyane 6's engine and a brightly coloured plastic body: Citroën built the Méhari for many years, from 1968 to 1987, producing a total of 144,953 units, all now highly sought after and greatly prized by collectors.
Of course, back then it was an affordable car. But technology has its price and, like all electric vehicles, the E-Mehari pays the price of small production numbers and batteries that are still too expensive. The concept, however, has remained true to its origins: a very simple range, a single trim level. The only optional extra is air conditioning — which, for the sake of historical (and environmental) consistency, given that it significantly reduces the electric range, one ought to be able to do without.
The silence of the drivetrain, the 110 km/h top speed and the hi-fi system's Bluetooth technology are more than enough to underline just how much time has passed since the original… For the rest, the body is still in plastic material, the colours have increased to four (with two chromatic variants for the roof), and fitting the hood, the rear window and the side windows (all of which can be folded away in a lockable compartment — a sign of the times…) has become easier and quicker.
And if, on the way back from the beach, you bring sand and dust on board, no problem: the interior trim can be washed down in 5 minutes with a bucket of water and a sponge. The E-Mehari is also an innovative car, however: it is fitted with a battery (available to lease at €87 per month) with a capacity of 30 kWh and a declared range of 200 km. A full charge takes 13 hours from a domestic socket or 8 hours from a charging point.
And don't be surprised that the E-Mehari is built today by a small company (Bolloré) rather than the French manufacturer itself. For the record, history — however reread — repeats itself here too: the idea for the Méhari back then also did not come from Citroën, but from Count Roland Paulze d'Ivoy de la Poype, war hero and plastics entrepreneur (his company already supplied dashboards and panels for certain Citroën models).
One question remains: over its long career the Méhari became a style icon but — few people know this — thanks to its four-wheel-drive versions it was also parachuted onto war fronts alongside the assault troops of the French army, and took part, albeit as a support vehicle, in the Paris–Dakar rally. Will its electrifying successor manage to match it? That seems unlikely.