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Citroën builds new EV out of cardboard

Citroën’s new electric vehicle

French automobile maker Citroën has just unveiled a new electric vehicle – built largely out of cardboard and recycled materials.

The four-seater car, which Citroën has dubbed “the oli”, has been made using non-traditional materials that are lightweight and use less resources than standard car models.

“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.

Body panels of the car are made up of recycled cardboard and fibreglass coated in a polyurethane resin. While these are significantly lighter than steel, they are still strong enough to support the weight of a person standing on the car’s roof, according to Citroën.

Car seats are made out of a mesh material that allows more light to shine through the cabin. The floor sheet of the car is polyurethane, which can also be easily recycled and reused.

The oli features removable bluetooth speakers and a simple, screen-free dashboard setup. Hansen said this no-frills approach reflects “a lifestyle choice more than a vehicle choice”.

“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?”

When fully charged but not in use, it can also serve as a mobile power source, able to power appliances and return power to the grid.

The vehicle weighs just 997kg, which Citroën reports is about 454kg lighter than a similar standard vehicle.

The car has been developed with urban use in mind – one charge will last you 400km of driving range. It’s speed is restricted to roughly 110km/h.

The oli will not be for sale, but elements of its design will be incorporated into future Citroën car models.

Citroën has unveiled an electric vehicle made out of cardboard and recycled materials

Citroën has unveiled an electric vehicle made out of cardboard and recycled materials

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