Citroën invents a cardboard car for a resource-poor world
News News blog
In anticipation of a resource-less world, Citroën has developed a concept car using cardboard instead of steel for the roof and bonnet.
This is not ordinary cardboard, however, but a special honeycomb format reinforced with a plastic coating on both sides and strong enough to stand on.
The concept car was developed in cooperation with the German chemical company BASF. Citroën's electric car "Oli" looks like a futuristic off-road vehicle.
Work on the concept car began in 2019 and therefore fell into a period marked by a shortage of raw materials.
Expression of a new lifestyle
To address the potential impact of climate change and component shortages, the Citroën Oli weighs less than 1 tonne and must not travel faster than 110 kilometres per hour.
The windows can only be opened manually, and the vertical windscreen reduces solar radiation into the vehicle's interior, reducing the need for air conditioning. This means that a vent must be fitted on the bonnet to mimic the effect of the windscreen on the vehicle's aerodynamics.
Oli is recyclable and easy to repair, so it can last for at least three generations or 50 years.
