06 October 2022
Citröen has a bit of a reputation for designing and producing quirky (Citröen refers to it as innovative) machinery.
Their latest ‘ innovative concept’ has just been revealed in Paris, and this radical design may prepare us for the future.
This little darling will use a completely electric powertrain; the problem with electric motor cars is the weight due to the batteries. As to performance, the Oli will have a range of 248 miles between charges and powered by a 40kWh battery.
The first thing to strike you is the appearance, which, as we all know, is subjective. Just as well, I guess. What Citröen have designed in the Oli is a form of transport that will be much lighter and less complicated than the long-established family motor car.
According to Vincent Cobee, Citroën’s CEO, a typical mid-70s family car weighed around 800kg and was 3.7 m long and 1.6 m wide. Today’s parallel is 1,200kg, at least 4.3 m long and 1.8 m wide, with some weighing in at 2,500kg.
This ‘littleun’ is projected to weigh just 1,000kg, thanks to the use of lightweight recycled materials, with certain non-structural elements of the body made from honeycomb cardboard panels which present a 50 per cent weight saving over steel, plus a relatively small 40kWh battery.
There is an estimated sale price of £22,000.
It seems Citröen are calling it their Swiss Army Knife, how sweet.
