Poissy, France – The new all-electric Oli concept car from Citroën weighs just 1000kg, and as a result has a range of 400km with a 40kWh battery. Its top speed is limited to 110km/h to maximise efficiency
Several of the lightweighting concepts rely on polyurethane. The boot, bonnet and roof are made from recycled corrugated cardboard, in a honeycomb sandwich structure between reinforcing fibreglass panels. These were created in conjunction with BASF, and are coated with the company’s Elastoflex PY resin, and covered with a protective layer of Elastocoat. The panels are strong enough for an adult to stand on them, but are 50% lighter the equivalent steel constructions.
BASF’s Sculpteo 3D printing service in France made about 20 parts for the car. The backrests are 3D printed using Ultrasint TPU88A from BASF Forward AM. The open lattice structure gives natural air flow, removing the need for ventilators in the seat.
A modular floor covering was made from expanded TPU, again in collaboration with BASF. It is as elastic as rubber, but lighter, resilient, and abrasion-resistant. And Elastollan was used to make a recyclable 3D printed TPU storage shelf and storage consoles.
