Citroen unveils Oli, an all-electric concept car made from cardboard

Well, concept cars are meant to be groundbreaking, and Citroen has something that is both unique and eco-friendly, with the Oli cardboard all-electric vehicle.

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The company worked alongside German chemical specialist BASF to develop the car that with a top speed of 68 miles per hour - and 20% to 80% charging takes only 23 minutes. The vehicle weighs a metric ton and has almost a range near 250 miles. Citroen wanted to keep the weight down and show that it's possible to make a quality vehicle and "more can be achieved with less."

Oli owners can make use of vehicle parts that are "reused or recycled" throughout the lifetime of the vehicle, and has a "flat bonnet, roof and pick-up bed panels" made of custom cardboard.

Citroen is using a custom honeycomb cardboard format that is reinforced with a plastic coating that makes the car frame durable enough for someone to stand on it without buckling under the pressure.

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"Citroën believes electrification should not mean extortion and being eco-conscious should not be punitive by restricting our mobility or making vehicles less rewarding to live with. We need to reverse the trends by making them lighter and less expensive and find inventive ways to maximise usage and refurbish for subsequent owners. Otherwise, families won't be able to afford the freedom of mobility when all-electric vehicles become the only option available to them. oli is a powerful demonstration of how Citroën is confronting these conflicts head-on and with optimism."

Citroen appreciates the auto industry's effort to go electric, creating a more sustainable ecosystem that drivers and the ecosystem can greatly benefit from. To do so, there needs to be greater access to EVs, which tend to be more on the high-end of the price spectrum, though that should change as more models are released.