The Citroen Oli electric concept vehicle is, on initial viewing, an automobile that manages to conjure up a mixture of excitement and deflation in equal measures. While Citroen’s attempt to produce an EV that is affordable (something manufacturers have generally struggled with to date) is admirable and worthy, the fact that there is no plan to push this concept through to production is disappointing.
The Citroen Oli crossover concept is anything but ordinary looking, with a mixture of the sharp angles we are beginning to get used to on concepts, along with more traditional curves, all mated to a shape that looks like an imagined moon buggy rather than an urban 4-wheeler.
Citroen estimates that such a vehicle – were it or something similar head to production – would cost around £22,000; a significant saving on the average price of a typical EV. Citroen has managed this by using a relatively small battery and by also using lightweight recycled construction materials. The inclusion of interchangeable panels also means that theoretically, production costs would be reduced as would repairs. Though the inclusion of honeycombed cardboard panels for some parts that are not considered to be structural might raise a few eyebrows, the parts are ample enough to support the full weight of the average adult Citroen says. One can presume we are not talking about the sort of card we receive postal parcels in here, but something far denser. The wheel design is all about weight saving too, with a tough steel plate backing and aluminium inner rim, saving up to 6kg altogether.
With the limitations of a smaller battery pack in mind, the Citroen Oli concept might be expected to suffer in the tech spec department, but battery technology is improving at a steady rate, and despite the 40kWh power, the Oli would be expected to achieve a range of a fraction under 250 miles on a full charge and a battery charging time of just 23 minutes when charging from 20 percent up to 80 percent. The Oli is also limited to 68mph, which is no big deal as long you are aware that the EV is designed for urban driving rather than motorway cruising; a rep-mobile this isn’t. Efficiency-wise, the Oli achieves approximately 6 miles per kWh, which improves on a Mini which stacks up at 4.2 miles per kWh.
While Citroen stress the Oli is built for urban journeys, that hasn’t stopped the designers adding roof rails for extra load carrying and various attachment points. It also has a rear opening more reminiscent of a pickup that your average saloon car, all-in-all, making the bank holiday trip to the DIY centre a breeze. While it might not be the prettiest concept car I’ve seen, it certainly does seem to be practical.
Inside, the 3D mesh cheaper to produce printed seats take their cue from the way the soles of running shoes are constructed, which enables Citroen to provide the seats with 80 percent less parts than a standard car seat. The dashboard features flickable toggle switches for interaction with the climate control and infotainment system, both of which can be controlled via your smartphone. The rear passenger area is accessed by small ‘suicide’ old taxi-style doors.
Overall, Citroen has built a striking looking EV with the intention of showing that manufacturers can produce affordable electric vehicles. After all, if that is the future of road transport, then what is on offer certainly does need to be more affordable. Parts of what we see here are likely to trickle down into production vehicles, though selling the cardboard element might be a tricky proposition.
Images: media.stellantis.com
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