Citroën OLI: the new urban electric mobility proposal that is affordable

The Citroën OLI is a concept car conceived as an experimental platform to explore ideas that could be applied in the future to make electric mobility more accessible. Inspired by the simplicity of the Citroën AMI, the OLI represents a radical shift from some of the current trends in modern cars.

And not only in terms of its design, but also in its pursuit of maximum weight reduction and minimum complexity, with the aim of offering a simple yet durable car. And, perhaps more difficult still: getting users to see it as something more than a vehicle that simply gets them from one place to another. Citroën proposes the OLI as a true extension of its owner’s lifestyle, something similar to what happens today with mobile phones, for example.

Bold, futuristic design… with a cardboard body!

This “multi-activity family vehicle” prototype, as Citroën calls the OLI, has exterior dimensions similar to those of a compact SUV: it measures 4.20 metres long, 1.65 metres high and 1.90 metres wide. And its silhouette is instantly recognisable, something Citroën achieved long ago with some of its cars, such as the legendary 2CV… or more recently with the AMI itself.

Here, the bonnet, the roof and the panels forming the rear are completely flat. And some of the body panels are made of cardboard! Don’t worry, the entire body isn’t made of such a flimsy material. In collaboration with BASF, Citroën uses for the bonnet and roof body panels a sandwich-type structure that does incorporate cardboard, but reinforced with fibreglass and coated with a special polyurethane resin, to which a protective Elastocoat layer is added before final painting, a resistant material used, for example, on the floors of some car parks.

This construction saves 50% of the weight compared with equivalent steel panels, while maintaining the strength needed to meet the demands placed on a vehicle’s body.

The versatility of a pick-up

Other details that catch the eye, especially nowadays, when issues such as aerodynamics are so important, are the vertical windscreen. This configuration was chosen because it requires less glass (again, weight), is easier to manufacture and reduces the solar radiation entering the cabin (making it easier to air-condition). Aerodynamics takes a back seat in a car designed to move around urban and suburban areas, with its top speed limited to 110 km/h.

The rear doors are narrower than the front ones and open in the opposite direction, giving access to a cabin with no central pillar. Again with weight in mind, the electrical wiring, insulating material or speakers that we usually find in doors have been eliminated.

But without doubt, one of the standout features of the Citroën OLI is its load area. By lowering the tailgate and removing the platform panel in this area (also made with the same cardboard structure as the bonnet and roof), it becomes a small pick-up. The load area panel itself is removable, and the bed has rails that allow hooks to be fitted to secure the load.

Light weight, up to 400 km of range

With a target weight of 1,000 kg, the electric propulsion system should allow the OLI to travel up to 400 km on a single battery charge, which has a capacity of 40 kWh. Average consumption would be around 10 kWh/100 km, a very low figure. And thanks to fast charging, the battery could go from 20 to 80% capacity in just over 20 minutes.

It also features V2G and V2L functionality, allowing it to store surplus energy (for example from solar panels) and use it at home, or to supply power to external electrical devices.

As for the interior, the dashboard is based on a symmetrical crossmember to which the steering column, a smartphone holder and the lever-type controls for the climate system are anchored, as well as an electrified sliding rail with USB sockets. As in the AMI, both communication and infotainment rely on the user’s smartphone. The vehicle’s floor is made of thermoplastic polyurethane, a flexible, light, elastic and very resistant foam, which can be replaced entirely and thus changed in colour.

GoodYear Eagle Go concept sustainable tyres

One of the features of the Citroën OLI is its tyres, developed especially by GoodYear for this prototype. Called Eagle GO, they are also a prototype, a proposal for a sustainable tyre distinguished by the materials used in the manufacture of its tread.

In addition to sunflower oils or pine resins, replacing petroleum-derived oils, other sustainable or recycled materials in these tyres include natural rubber and silica obtained from rice husks.

According to GoodYear, the Eagle GO concept tyre can be “renewed” up to twice, by replacing the tread. A solution widely used on truck and aircraft tyres, which extends tyre life by reusing the casing. Another solution we will gradually see on production tyres is SightLine technology, which GoodYear already uses with fleet customers. It is a monitoring system that makes it possible to check the condition of the tyre as the miles are covered.

Citroën OLI – Image gallery