Watch: TG's first drive of the Citroen Oli, a genius cardboard electric car

Meet Oli. Citroen’s latest ‘wouldn’t it be great if’ concept that looks like a moon buggy dropped from orbit. The thinking is deeply down to earth, though.

The windscreen is flat because that uses less glass than a curved one. Aero isn’t important in town. What if we’ve gone wrong with supersized lithium-hungry batteries? The Oli’s is just 40kWh, good enough for 248 miles of range, which is twice the endurance of a Honda e for only 14 per cent more capacity... because it weighs half a tonne less.

The Oli comes in at only 1,000kg, thanks to less soundproofing (EVs are already quiet), and a roof, bonnet and truck bed made from polyurethane-coated cardboard. So it’s waterproof, as strong as steel, but half the mass. And recyclable. It also drives. So join Top Gear magazine’s Ollie Kew as he talks you around this wacky concept before taking it for a quick spin.