Month: September 2022

The wee-little pug-nosed beastie you see here is the brand-new Citroën Oli concept, and it’s not like other cars. You see, most vehicles are made from stampings of steel and aluminum. A few, like the Chevy Corvette, have bodies formed out of fiberglass, the DeLorean was famously stamped from stainless steel and the former East German Trabant was fashioned out of something called Duroplast, which is sort of like Formica. The Citroën Oli is “made from recycled corrugated cardboard formed into a honeycomb sandwich structure between fiberglass reinforcing panels.”

We know what you’re thinking, because it’s the first thing we thought too. How can cardboard stand up to the weather, impacts and stresses that cars will undoubtedly have to contend with? The quirky French automaker has answers. Citroën partnered with BASF to design the material, and it’s coated in a kind of resin, then covered in a protective layer of a “tough, textured” product called Elastocoat that’s often used in parking garage construction, and finally painted. Bumpers are formed from polypropylene plastic containing 50% recycled materials, and the wheel arches are recyclable plastic, too.

Why go to such trouble to use this material instead of just relying on time-tested metals? Citroën says the panels are strong enough for an adult to stand on them, 50% lighter than steel and fully recyclable (to be fair, steel and aluminum are also commonly recycled). The emphasis on weight savings continues throughout the Oli’s design. The body panels are all either perfectly horizontal or vertical, simplifying construction and reducing weight. Even the windshield is perfectly vertical, which again reduces weight and cost. That all maximizes interior space, too — there’s a reason boxes are square, after all. Speaking of the interior, you’ll notice there aren’t any screens.

With all this talk of unique construction methods and design, we’ve not yet talked about propulsion. As you’d expect, the Oli is electric, but we don’t know much past that. With its comparatively small 40kWh battery pack, it can travel up to 248 miles, though we’re not sure on what testing regimen. Its top speed is capped at 68 miles per hour, which is a clear indicator that this machine is designed primarily for urban and small-town rural use, not long stretches of highway. Citroën claims a charge from 20% to 80% takes just 23 minutes, though the actual charging specifications aren’t known. Its battery pack can also be used for energy storage that can be used as a generator or fed back into the grid.

According to the automaker, “Oli acts as a precursor to the concepts and innovations that will be available in future Citroën electric models.” It will be interesting to see how many of the unique concepts make it into future production models, but we don’t expect to see anything like this for sale anytime soon, particularly in the United States.

• Elon Musk tweeted out new details about Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck. 
• He said the pickup will be able to float and serve as a boat for short periods. 
• Tesla says the Cybertruck will go into production next year, two years behind schedule. 

Over the years, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has slowly revealed details about his company’s long-postponed Cybertruck pickup. On Thursday, he said the electric truck will be able to float and work like a boat for short periods. 

“Cybertruck will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes & even seas that aren’t too choppy,” Musk tweeted.

Years of delays have left preorder holders and industry watchers wondering when the Cybertruck will be able to simply serve as a truck. Tesla revealed the unique-looking model at a splashy event in 2019 and planned to start sales in 2021 but now says production will begin in 2023. 

In the interim, Ford, General Motors, and the California startup Rivian have all launched battery-powered pickups of their own. 

Musk has a habit of making hard-to-keep promises about future products and technologies. He’s said that rocket thrusters will allow the upcoming Tesla Roadster sports car to hover. For years, he’s said that Tesla is on the brink of creating fully self-driving cars. 

Some specifics about the Cybertruck have changed in the three years since its unveiling. The truck will cost more than the roughly $40,000 Tesla originally advertised, Musk told shareholders in August. Late last year, he said the first models out will have four motors and rear-wheel steering, giving them the ability to spin in place like a tank or drive diagonally. 

Tesla says two other delayed models will go into production next year: the Semi tractor-trailer and Roadster sports car. 

• The flying taxi that’s been ordered by American Airlines has completed its first test flight. 
• The piloted test of the VX4 is the first in a series of planned tests, Vertical Aerospace said Monday. 
• American Airlines has preordered 250 of the aircraft, which could be certified by 2025. 

A British startup has successfully completed the first piloted test flight of its VX4 flying taxi.

The company, Vertical Aerospace, announced the news on Monday. It marks a significant step in the development of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft technology. 

Vertical Aerospace has designed the VX4, which has been ordered by American Airlines and Virgin Airlines, to carry four passengers on 30-minute flights between airports and across cities.

The test flight, which occurred inside an aircraft hanger, aimed to determine whether the vehicle could lift itself under its own weight, a spokesperson for Vertical Aerospace told Insider. 

During the 10-minute test, the craft, which was tethered to the ground, hovered at a height of around 3 feet, the spokesperson said. 

“This test represented the culmination of many months of preparation by a huge team,” said Justin Paines, the company’s chief test pilot, who also flew the aircraft.

Vertical Aerospace, which is listed on the New York stock exchange, is one of several startups rushing to develop eVTOLs.

The vehicles, often marketed as flying taxis, are attracting significant interest from major airlines, charter firms, and tourism companies.

No model has been certified by flight regulators, although Vertical Aerospace hopes to have the VX4 certified by 2025.

In July, American Airlines announced it had paid for the pre-delivery of 50 VX4 craft and has a further 200 on order, with an option for 100 more.

The test flight announced on Monday was the first time the VX4 had flown, although Vertical Aerospace previously carried out tests flights on prototype craft. 

Because the test flight was piloted, Vertical Aerospace had to apply for a permit from the UK’s aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The spokesperson said that members of the CAA were present during the first test flight. 

Vertical Aerospace plans to continue testing the VX4 for several months and increase the altitude and speed with each new test flight.