BERLIN: For years now cars have been getting bigger, heavier, more powerful - and naturally more expensive too.
As electromobility gathers pace, this trend is consolidating. Instead of costing €20,000 (RM93,000), prices for family-sized battery-electric cars usually start at €30,000 (RM140,000).
Citroen wants to buck the trend with its "fun and exciting" Oli concept and will exhibit the vehicle to the general public for the first time at the Paris Rétromobile Show in February.
Despite looking like something straight off the set of a peculiarly Gallic science fiction film, Oli has the makings of a genuinely practical runabout for the young Generation E.
And instead of just putting it on a trade fair stand, the French maker recently sent it for a spin through the centre of Germany's financial metropolis Frankfurt to see what people thought.
Citroen knew the angular car would be an eye-catcher during the afternoon rush-hour but said the shape of what looks like a scaled-down US military Hummer had been chosen for other reasons.
The bonnet, roof and boot floor panels are all made from extremely strong recycled honeycomb cardboard which cannot be bent into any shape. This also means the Oli weighs just 1,000kg.
Cardboard is light and it does the job as well as more expensive carbon-fibre. Indeed the material is so stable that owners can clamber onto the roof and have a picnic.
The windows are all upright too which means the car heats up less inside and the air conditioning doesn't have to work so hard.
Because the battery is the most expensive and heaviest component on the car, the Oli has a particularly small unit with 40 kW.
To save money, performance has been pruned too. Oli is definitely slowish and will only run up to 110kph. All this helps keep the price down to (potentially) less than €25,000 (RM116,000).
High speed is not much use in gridlocked cities anyway and the power on hand was fine for trundling around Frankfurt and along the banks of the river Main. After all, a mighty Tesla cannot tool through the backstreets any faster.
The interior controls are minimalistic and what looks like a forest of golf tees on the dash turns out to be an odd way of securing beverage cans and stuff. Digital screens are lacking since Citroen suggests you can dock your own tablet or smartphone into the car.
The interior bears witness to the battle against costs and kilos, an yet comfort has not been sacrificed. The 3D-printed seats are lightweight and easy to adjust, but also quite cosy. The makers say the "mesh" seat backs require 80 fewer parts than traditional seats.
Everything seems more mature and thought-out for everyday use than the flights of fancy seen in many concept cars. Oli even uses the same platform as the electric C4.
Oli is more than just a fun-mobile and if the bodywork didn't creak so much and the heating had more power, you could even risk driving it to Paris. That's less than 600km from Frankfurt and should be manageable in 8 hours with two charging stops.
However, such a long-distance journey will almost certainly remain a pipe-dream, since Oli is not earmarked for production.
But who knows, the French are famous for enabling mass mobility with basic models like the iconic, upright 2CV.
Maybe what does not work now will do at some point in the future. In any case, Oli shows Citroen is not lacking in good ideas.
