The Citroen E-Mehari is further proof that French car makers are still building quirky cars.

Citroen wanted to capture the essence of the old Mehari into a contemporary electric vehicle, that’s why it teamed up with Bollore and came up with possibly the most eccentric car on the market. True, there are even more preposterous offerings out there, but they’re built by small car makers, not a mass manufacturer like Citroen.

Now, the E-Mehari is actually a Bollore Blue Summer in funky clothing, it has no airbags, uses plastic body panels, and it’s powered by a 67 hp all-electric powertrain, juiced up by lithium metal polymer batteries that promise an urban driving range of 200 km (124 miles) – although LiPo batteries are not as sophisticated as Li-ions and must be recharged every 48 hours.

Like the original Mehari, it is a no-nonsense, fun-based activity buggy. Available for sale only in France (for now), the E-Mehari costs €28,000 ($31,308) – a little steep for something so spartan. Plus, the price doesn’t include the battery pack, which must be leased from Bollore for €79 ($88) per month.

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