What do certain Décathlon creations, such as the Forclaz gas stove designed for trekking, have in common with the project for a Citroën AMI leisure car? Neither, you might say. None, except for their 32-year-old designer, Alexandre Pain. He is a man who, in his spare time, continues to drink coffee while leaving his brain connected to innovation.
Inspired by the recently launched Citroën AMI, Alexandre’s ME concept is “a study based on my personal convictions for sustainable low-carbon mobility. The vehicle has a 22 kW battery for a range of around 200 km.”
Contrary to the AMI, the ME cannot therefore be driven by teenagers as its top speed is 80 km/h as you have to be able to reach the beaches and recreation areas!
The concept consists of symmetrical elements between front and back. As the parts are strictly identical, production is potentially low-cost, as on Citroën’s AMI. Obviously, the bodywork is specific and has nothing to do with that of the Citroën, nor its structure (in tube welded on the AMI). In the case of the ME, it is a 3D printed block with modular body parts that come to dress it.
Alexandre specifies that the “trunk has no lid and is easily accessible thanks to a step towards the rear wheel”. And if Alexandre says he was inspired by the Méhari he loves, we’ll lean more towards an inspiration from the 2010 Lacoste concept car (below, a project designed by Céline Venet), with all the simplicity brought by the electric drive train in the case of the ME.
Finally, and this is important to point out, Alexandre Pain indicates “that this project has no commercial destination.” But the idea remains no less interesting, much more so than the e-Mehari!
Alexandre Pain now works full time for Décathlon Forclaz as a product designer for camping and energy equipment. See his Behance page here :
