Under the slogan ‘small is the new big’, Citroën launched its ELO concept car, “a laboratory of ideas that embodies the brand’s values of innovation and creativity and brings together ideas for the future,” according to Citroën.
“ELO is small but thinks big! Small in size, it surprises with its spacious interior and modularity thanks to the optimal use of its 100% electric architecture.” With a compact length of 4.10 meters, it offers an interior designed as a modular living space that can accommodate up to six people.
According to Citroën, ELO is designed to facilitate a life on the move in all its aspects: travel, as well as relaxation, leisure, and work. Hence the name ELO: rEst pLay, wOrk.
Citroën has drawn on the expertise of its partners, Goodyear and Decathlon, to develop practical, technical, and resistant materials. ELO will make its world debut at the Brussels Motor Show on 9 January.
New chapter
Citroën unveils ELO, a concept car that wants to be a new chapter for the brand. “Following on from OLI, presented in 2022, ELO is a laboratory of ideas that explores areas inspiring Citroën’s thinking for tomorrow. Bold, clever, creative, and focused on well-being, it perfectly embodies Citroën’s values.”
ELO wants to be “a fun, clever, accessible, spacious and responsible means of transport, which also offers a broader and reinvented vision of mobility.” Citroën wants to explore disruptive solutions to reinvent habitability and reinterpret the spirit of the MPVs and leisure activity vehicles that have shaped its history.
“ELO is a new step in an exceptional period for Citroën, marked by the complete renewal of the range in two years and our arrival in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, says Citroën boss Xavier Chardon.
“ELO is a laboratory of ideas that perfectly embodies Citroën’s values and opens up perspectives on what drives our thinking today. It ticks all the boxes of what has been the brand’s DNA for over 100 years and what I want to nurture in the coming years: creative, bold, accessible, responsible, ingenious, and dedicated to well-being,” he added.
Minivan
“With its compact minivan design (4.10 m), it is at home in urban areas, its base camp, but it also invites
you to get out and enjoy some breathing space,” says Citroën. “With its ultra-spacious and modular interior that can accommodate up to six people, it meets the demands of a fast-paced life between commuting, leisure, family activities, teleworking, and impromptu getaways.
ELO has a modern, colourful, and cheerful design, and wants to be a car that adapts to the customer’s needs. The standard model has four seats with a centrally positioned driver’s seat, to offer “a new feeling
of visibility with a 180° windscreen and a modern, ingenious interface.”
The driver’s seat can be turned around for conversation or work with a dedicated support. And if necessary, two additional seats can be deployed to carry six people. It can also be transformed into a sleeping space for two people, a home cinema room, a power supply, and more.
“We are very proud of ELO because it is the perfect expression of what design should be: combining style and function,” says Pierre Leclercq, Citroën’s Style Director. “ELO is a bubble of energy, both in terms of its colourful and endearing personality and its modernity, but also in terms of all the possibilities it offers for enjoying an intense and rich life.”
Collaboration
The designers have thought through every detail of this concept and have shared their expertise by seeking out two partners with a desire to get people moving and to develop “technical, sustainable, and responsible materials.”
There is Decathlon, whose design team contributed its expertise in sports and outdoor activities, enabling the Citroën team to imagine new features and dare to use innovative materials.
“Our collaboration with Citroën is built on shared values: innovation and the desire to make mobility accessible in everyday life. Design lies at the heart of this vision. Our designers have put their expertise
into this unique project with a clear goal: to completely rethink the layout to improve the genuine user experience,” explains Charles Cambianica, Product Innovation Director at Decathlon.
And there is Goodyear, which developed new smart tyres designed for outdoor use. “True to its purpose, ELO is fitted with tires designed for leisure and outdoor activities. It continues the collaboration with Goodyear, becoming the fourth Citroën concept car equipped with smart tires. Whatever the terrain, these tires suit daily use and occasional off-road escapes, says Ben Glesener, Senior Technology Director at Goodyear.
“These are intelligent tires thanks to the Goodyear SightLine suite of technologies – able to measure pressure and wear in real time, monitored via a dedicated app. An LED integrated into the rim indicates correct pressure (green LED) or underinflation (red LED). The tire tread is engineered to support ELO’s versatile activities,” he added.
“The Citroën Design teams had a lot of fun imagining a model designed down to the smallest detail to be practical, fun, and clever. Sharing expertise with the designers at Goodyear and Decathlon was also a very stimulating part of developing this concept, thanks to the creativity and technical solutions they brought to the table,” Citroën’s Pierre Leclercq commented.
