Citroen — Peugeot’s sister company — has unveiled a car concept with body panels made from cardboard. Dubbed ‘Oli’, the concept has been developed in anticipation of a world without natural resources.
It bears mentioning, though, that it is no ordinary cardboard. It is a specialized honeycomb format reinforced with a plastic coating on both sides. The unique melding of materials makes the panel sturdy enough to sustain significant weight and force.
Citroen has developed the unconventional concept in collaboration with the German chemical giant, BASF. The automaker states that even the car’s windshield is designed to use a minimum amount of glass to save weight. Although Oli’s design and styling are “form over function”, it also allows for a futuristic look.
A report from Reuters highlights that Citroen’s vehicle development approach — albeit cutting edge — is not exactly brand new. Citing a Soviet-era legend, the report highlighted that Trabant — a small two-stroke engine car produced in former East Germany — was to have a body made of reinforced cardboard.
It added that due to the fragile nature of that body, Trabant was later made from “duroplast,” — a plastic reinforced with recycled cotton waste. Citroen and BASF have succeeded in bringing Trabant’s aspiration of a cheap build to life.
Citroen’s Director of Future Products, Anne Laliron told Reuters, “It’s not just a concept car like you’re used to seeing,” but rather a manifestation of new lifestyles. The “Manifesto” concept car was created by designers at Dacia, the budget-friendly sub-brand of Renault. Its concept seeks to advocate a sustainable, environmentally friendly, and budget-friendly future of mobility.