France-based automaker Citroën officially announced yesterday the all-electric E-MEHARI. Although the car is officially based on the company’s flagship vehicle of the same name built between 1968-1988, it seems to borrow more design cues from the Bolloré Blue Summer which can be explained by the fact that the E-Méhari is built on Bolloré ‘s electric platform.
Citroën is still presenting the Méhari as a low maintenance utility vehicle like it was decades ago. It is equipped with 4-seat plus a foldable rear bench and can be easily washed by simply spraying it with a hose inside and out. The E-Méhari’s body is made of thermoformed plastic, which isn’t subject to corrosion.
The car is equipped with a 30 kWh battery pack and Citroën promises a 200 km (124 miles) on a single charge in the city and about half that on highways. It should be able to reach a top speed of 110 km/h (68 mph).
The company committed to bring the vehicle to market in the spring of 2016 starting with France. It will be built at the PSA Peugeot Citroën plant in Rennes and the company will showcase the E-Méhari at their headquarter within the framework of the Eco Driving Center of COP21 conference in Paris.
Citroën didn’t officially announce a price for the vehicle, but it is expected to be sold under a battery leasing agreement for about €24,000 ($26,000) plus monthly battery leasing fees.
Here’s a side by side comparison of the 1968 Méhari with the 2016 E-Méhari:
In my opinion, the 1968 version not only looked better within the context of its timeframe (1968-1988), but it also still looks better than the 2016 version today.
Here’s the full press release:
[slideshare id=55914131&doc=cpe-mehariendiffusion-151208003955-lva1-app6892&type=d]
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haha, you’re right. The 68 does look better. The 2016 model looks like a child’s toy car.
I’ve lost interest in Citroën ever since they dropped their hydro-pneumatic suspension system.