Citroen unveil new electric vehicle made from recycled cardboard with top speed of 68mph and 248 mile range

The French automobile maker unveiled their new environmentally friendly EV car called ‘the oli’ with urban use in mind.
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Citroen has unveiled a fresh new invention as part of its EV line - the oli, which is a vehicle made largely out of cardboard and recycled materials.

The four-seater has been created using non-traditional materials known for their lightweight properties, as well as those which require less resources.

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In a document outlining the concept, Citroen confirmed the oli will have a “flat bonnet, roof and pick-up bed panels” that are made from “recycled honeycomb cardboard.”

The firm claims that the materials used in the make-up of the vehicle are still strong enough to withstand the force of a person standing on top.

Citroen oli specifications

It has a target weight of roughly 1,000 kilograms or 2,200 pounds at a much smaller scale compared to other cars on the market.

The oli will have a range of 248 miles and 20-80-percent charging is expected to take 23 minutes. The top speed of 68mph is said to maximise efficiency.

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Citroen, to reinforce the sustainability of its latest invention, confirms that vehicle parts could be “reused or recycled throughout the ownership.”

“Rather than being a 2,500kg ‘palace on wheels’ filled with screens and gadgets, oli proves that more can be achieved with less.”

Other features include mesh material car seats, removable bluetooth speakers, a simple screen-free dashboard setup and mobile charging appliances.

In a statement, the head of Citroen Product Development said: “We wanted to use only the amount of materials we really needed, so we have ruthlessly pursued the objective of putting the right resources where they are required, and limiting the impact of the use of those resources,” said Laurence Hansen, head of Citroën Product Development, in a statement.

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“You can choose to pay for all of the latest features and artificial intelligence which you only use 2% of the time when driving, or you can ask yourself, what is the responsible thing to do and how much of this do I really need?”

Can I buy the new Citroen cardboard car?

The oli, itself, will not be available for sale, however many elements of its design will be used to influence Citroen’s future car models, especially EV.

The firm’s CEO Vincent Cobee outlined the importance of electric vehicles going forward to CBBC, stating: “Obviously, and I think we can all agree with it, the drive towards an electrification [of] individual transport is a very important element of a sustainable future.

“I’m not even talking about regulation, I’m talking mostly about societal expectations,” he added. “How we get there is a very important question.”

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He said: “One thing is, for the last 10 years, we’ve seen an increase in electric vehicle performance,”

“I’m talking about autonomy, power, speed and, as a consequence, weight and price.”

“This for us is a concern because, honestly, if the future of an electric car is 2.5 tons of weight and 70,000 euros or more of price, then it’s not for everyone.”

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