Citroen presents the 4,10-meter-long and 1,70-meter-high electric van as a design study. The name ELO stands for rEst, pLay, wOrk, as this small vehicle is designed to be a place where you can relax, play and work. The car offers a highly flexible seating arrangement with up to six seats.
Citroën is silent about the technology. It is only known that the car was developed on a dedicated electric platform. Which one it is is not known. It could be the STLA Small – after all, partner brand Peugeot also recently presented a study on this basis. The Citroen ELO will not be presented to the public for the first time until January 9 at the Brussels Motor Show, but the pictures are already available.
Like the Citroen Oli, which was unveiled in 2022, it is a “laboratory of ideas,” as the manufacturer calls it. They apparently want to test out different elements that could appear in future cars. The ELO is supposed to be a pleasant, versatile and spacious means of transportation – a kind of small house on four wheels. The car is at home in the city, but also invites you to drive outside the city limits, says Citroen.
The large glass surfaces are supposed to make the vehicle look lighter and provide a bright interior. The images also show a glass roof, which can apparently be opened. The friendly nature of the ELO is said to be supported by the orange paint color, which changes to yellow or red depending on the light. The interior is also in orange.
The four side doors open in opposite directions, and the B-pillar is missing. This creates a 1,92-meter-wide entrance. Inside, a kind of head-up display is mounted on the lower edge of the windshield. The content is displayed on a “transparent screen”, which makes the information seem to float above the front cover, Citroën explains. It is a further development of the Smartband screens in the Citroën Ola. The screen is also reminiscent of the Panoramic Vision screen in the BMW iX3. There is no dashboard; all the controls are located on a single-spoke steering wheel, which is flattened at the top and bottom. On the left and right sides, the joystick has similar elements with which various functions can be called up and operated.
The driver's seat is centrally located. Behind it are three rear seats, arranged side by side. In addition, two more seats, arranged at an angle behind the driver's seat, can be opened, making the car a six-seater – which is remarkable considering the body length is only 4,10 metres. The driver's seat can be tilted back for conversation or work. In addition, there are seat configurations that transform the vehicle into a sleeping area for two or a cinema.
The design team clearly had camping or picnic use in mind. The three rear seats can be removed and used as outdoor seating. There are hooks on all four doors so that a canvas roof can be stretched on both sides of the ELO – as protection from the sun or rain. The compressor built into the chassis can be used to inflate swimming aids, stand-up paddleboards or bicycle tires. The ELO also supports V2L, which means it can power electrical devices.
The rear of the ELO has asymmetrically divided double doors, like a van. The upper part is glazed. The boot opening is designed so that you can sit on the sill, for example to take off your mountain boots after a hike.
