The art of offering absolutely nothing
The original Citroen Mehari was famous for having an interior that you could literally clean with a garden hose. The manufacturers of the new electric E-Story replica have stayed incredibly faithful to this minimalist tradition.
When you climb inside this modern vehicle you are greeted by a spectacular amount of empty space. There are no soft touch plastics or luxurious carpets to be found anywhere. The dashboard is a simple flat panel that contains only the bare minimum of instruments.
It is a very interesting concept that celebrates the simple life of the past. You get a steering wheel and some basic seats wrapped in waterproof material. The company MLT has certainly succeeded in recreating the vintage atmosphere but you might wonder where your money actually went.
Failing the modern comfort test
This extreme modesty was perfectly acceptable in the nineteen seventies when everyone drove basic vehicles. Today the automotive world has moved on significantly and the E-Story feels like a massive shock to the system.
It is a very good question whether this layout still fits current standards of comfort. There is no air conditioning to protect you from the summer heat and the cabin insulation is completely non-existent. If it starts to rain heavily you have to manually clip on some flimsy plastic sheets to keep the water out.
The vehicle is designed for sunny beach days but the reality of driving it can be rather loud and windy. It lacks the basic refinements that modern drivers take for granted in even the cheapest city cars. You are essentially paying to suffer for the sake of fashion.
The serious question of safety
The lack of interior features becomes much less funny when you start thinking about modern road safety. The original Mehari was basically a plastic tray on wheels and this electric version is not much different.
You will look in vain for modern safety technologies like airbags or crumple zones. The doors are light pieces of fabric or plastic that offer zero protection if another vehicle hits you from the side. You are hanging out in the open air with very little structure around your body.
Driving the E-Story on a quiet coastal track is perfectly fine and highly enjoyable. Taking it onto a busy main road surrounded by massive modern SUVs is a completely different story. It requires a lot of bravery to trust your life to a lightweight replica that has the structural integrity of a garden chair.
A rather borderline financial decision
The complete lack of interior equipment makes the official price tag of this French creation look rather borderline. The company eClassic Cars is asking for an enormous amount of money with a starting price close to 30.000 euros for a vehicle that gives you almost nothing in return.
You are paying a massive premium for the electric drivetrain and the cute retro look. The financial calculation makes very little sense when you look at what you actually get to sit in. It is an expensive toy for wealthy people who want to look casual while spending a fortune.
If you want a genuine vintage experience with zero modern comforts you could easily buy a real classic car for a fraction of the price. The E-Story remains an amusing experiment in automotive minimalism but it is a luxury that is very hard to defend with logic.
