Wacky Citroen Oli electric car has cardboard body

Citroen has unveiled the all-new Citroen Oli – a radical new concept for a cheap, sustainable all-electric SUV that picks up where the Euro-only Citroen Ami quadricycle left off.

Described by the French car-maker as more of a “manifesto of intelligent ideas” and a “laboratory on wheels” rather than previewing a production model, the 2022 Citroen Oli EV is said to have been built with a target weight of 1000kg that helps it deliver a 400km range from its 40kWh battery.

Featuring a wild design that looks like the Citroen’s take on a Tesla Cybertruck, the Oli measures in at 4.2 metres long, 1.65m high and 1.90m wide, giving it a similar footprint to a Hyundai Kona.

The striking looks are claimed to be the result of designers maximising functionality and versatility, while the bright trim and patterns hint at endless levels of personalisation for the vehicle that’s been developed for a theoretical €25,000 ($A37,000) price tag.

Features like the interchangeable exterior panels, which include the doors, wheel-arch extensions and bumpers, have been added to slash complexity and repair costs.

Even the choice of materials used is said to explain how the brand is exploring new ideas to lower the price of repairs while boosting sustainability.

That explains the body panels that employ recycled corrugated cardboard formed into a honeycomb sandwich between fibreglass panels.

Covered by a polyurethane resin, Citroen says the panels are highly rigid, light and strong, while weighing 50 per cent less than steel.

The same tech enables the roof to be used as a platform to mount a tent, with each panel weighing just 6kg but capable of carrying the weight of an adult.

Other design innovation includes the unusual vertical windscreen that’s been created simply to use the least amount of costly and heavy glass as possible.

Using minimal glazing means the Oli stays cooler in the sun, allowing a smaller, less powerful air-conditioning unit to be used that draws 17 per cent less power than normal, boosting range.

The aerodynamics are less affected by the unusual design because the Oli’s speed is limited to 110km/h. A novel Aero Duct has also developed, generating an air curtain over the screen to reduce its drag in a similar way to the roofless McLaren Elva.

Other highlights include 20-inch wheels that have a durable steel face, plus an aluminium inner rim to slash more weight. They’re shod with Goodyear Eagle GO long-life tyres.

Look closer and you’ll notice the Citroen Oli is the first vehicle to use the firm’s revamped double-chevron logo.

Thought to be based on Stellantis’ all-new STLA Small Platform that’s created for EVs, the Oli might boast a small battery but gets new fast-charging tech that sees a 20-80 per cent top-up take just 23 minutes.

The Citroen Oli is also capable of both vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-grid functionality, the latter enabling owners to use their car to store excess energy from home solar panels that can then be sold on to energy suppliers in times of peak demand.

Within the Oli the quirky design features continue.

There’s a beam-style dash that boasts a row of toggles for the minor functions like the climate control. A ‘think’ infotainment system, meanwhile, has been designed to be powered by your smartphone.

The seats are special, too, made of thermoplastic polyurethane with 3D-printed mesh on the back rests and are attached to the floor using shock-absorbing mounts for a better ride.

Instead of a sound system, there’s two removable Bluetooth speakers at either end of the dashboard. A pair of suicide-style rear doors provide access to the rear seats.

Boosting the Oli’s longevity, Citroen says it has designed the small SUV to be refurbished, instead of replaced or recycled.

“We took a risk with Ami, and we are taking a risk with Oli because we need to push creativity for production,” said Citroen design boss Pierre Leclercq.

“There’s no sense in proposing cool materials or designs that will never influence future production vehicles. That’s why the inclusion of the new logo on Oli is significant, because just as you will see elements of its design and technology in future models.”

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