Colonel Sponsz's Shared Items

EDEN Mehari Electric Car
We are just a few years away from the 50th anniversary of the Méhari, and the 2CV Méhari Club Cassis got to thinking of a concept car to glorify this model symbolises the leisure car of excellence.

This model had to respect the tradition of the Méhari and be recognisable at first glance, and therefore there was no question of changing the form. You will notice in the concept car, the only exception to change is for security, because we have installed a rear roll bar and 3-point seat belts.

We wanted this vehicle to be elegant, the French elegance. This can be seen in the detail and quality of the upholstery entirely made in are workshop at Carnoux, and in the paintwork realised at our workshop at Cassis.

The third point is the modernity, because we want the Méhari to continue into the future. The Méhari will soon be 50 years old, for us 50 years old is the age of reason. We implanted an electric heart because pollution and consumption are subjects that concern the consumers and our society in general. We wanted to increase the longevity of the Méhari.

There is still a great demand for the Méhari. A problem which limits us in the construction of the Méhari, is that to build a Méhari we need a base to build from, this means finding a wreck with registration papers and building around that. This is no longer the case. The Méhari Club has become a car constructor. We will now be able to create our own chassis numbers and issue our own registration papers.

When we started this adventure we entered into contact with our clients and Méhari enthusiasts, and they encouraged us to think about commercialising this type of vehicle. The vehicle has recently passed shock and electromagnetic tests and it could be commercialised. Of course we will need to do some optimising and on road tests to ensure as always the high standards of quality and security that our clients have come to expect of our products.

To respect the tradition of the Méhari we decided to keep the original gearbox and a maximum of other parts made by us using the original Citroën moulds and tools. Of course there are some parts made specifically for the electrical motorisation. We kept the gearbox so that Méhari enthusiasts would have that gear lever and find the same unique sensation of driving a Méhari. Also the ability to change gear helps the vehicle to advance more efficiently on a slope.

We decided to use tried and tested technology. The batteries are Lithium iron phosphate. We chose a technical solution that provides a good balance between performance, reliability and longevity of batteries. We have two difference battery packs. The standard battery pack which provides a range of around 80Km (50 miles), and we have an extended pack with a range of 120Km (75 miles). This of course depends on the style and manner in which the car is driven. Given that most users do not drive more than 50Km (30 miles) a day we are sure the range is secondary for this type of vehicle. It is about the pleasure of driving wind in the hair and in almost complete silence.

We have a short charge time of 30Km (20 miles) per hour. In less than 3 hours the batteries are fully charged.

With the Eden we consider we have the project that bears the closest resemblance in look and feel of the original Méhari.

An advantage for us which is an element essential for our clients, is the experience and expertise of our upholstery and mechanical workshops. They have used the maximum of original Méhari parts to create this unique model.