A classic plastic icon gets a battery pack
The original Citroën Méhari was a wonderfully simple creation from the late nineteen sixties. It was essentially a canvas tent on wheels with a body made entirely out of lightweight corrugated plastic. It was cheap and slow but people loved it for cruising down to the beach.
A French company called MLT which stands for Méhari Loisirs Technologie has decided to bring this retro concept into the modern world. They are building a brand new version called the E-Story. The major twist here is that they have replaced the noisy old petrol engine with a modern one hundred per cent electric motor.
You can easily identify this specific modern replica from a distance by looking closely at the front design. There is a small electric plug graphic on the bright green bodywork. A neat E-Story badge sits just below the right side of the windshield to let everyone know you are driving a silent eco-friendly machine.
The basic technical reality
The engineering underneath the plastic body is straightforward. The manufacturers wanted to keep the lightweight feel of the original beach cruiser while conforming to modern electric standards. It has a decent driving range for a vehicle that has no proper doors or windows.
You can plug it into a standard home socket to charge the battery pack overnight. The car is perfect for buzzing along coastal roads or heading to the local market to buy a fresh baguette. It produces zero emissions which means you can feel very proud of your environmental choices while the wind ruins your hair.
The top speed is quite modest but nobody buys a plastic utility car to break land speed records. It is designed for slow journeys where people can see you looking incredibly stylish and relaxed. The suspension handles bumpy sand tracks well enough for a trip to the dunes.
The painful financial calculation
This all sounds like a fantastic summer toy until you look at the official price list in France. The E-Story is shockingly expensive (starting around 30.000 euros) for what is essentially a glorified golf buggy with vintage styling.
The high manufacturing costs mean that the value for money equation becomes very difficult to justify. You are paying premium modern electric car prices for a vehicle that lacks basic luxuries like a proper roof or a modern heater. It is a vehicle designed purely for wealthy individuals who already own a large villa and three other regular cars.
The price tag puts the whole concept into rather relative terms. You have to really love vintage French design to spend that amount of cash on a plastic electric replica. For the same money you could buy a highly sophisticated family vehicle with a touch screen and air conditioning.
Nostalgia is a luxury good
The company eClassic Cars is clearly targeting the luxury lifestyle market rather than regular commuters. They are betting that the emotional connection to the old Méhari is strong enough to make buyers forget about common sense.
It is undeniably a beautiful and fun object that turns heads wherever it goes. The green paintwork looks brilliant under the summer sun and the electric motor makes the ride very smooth.
You just have to accept that you are paying a massive premium for a heavy dose of nostalgia. If you have the budget it is a wonderful way to play the part of a trendy coastal local. For everyone else it remains a very amusing but completely unaffordable plastic dream.
