Say hello to the Citroën ELO and hold on tight to your dreams

Citroën’s new ELO concept is a camper van, cinema and mobile office, reimagining what a small electric car can be

Citroen's ELO concept is a camper van, cinema and office rolled into one (FRED DE PONTCHARRA @ ContinentalProductions)

Citroën has revealed the ELO, a bold new all-electric concept car that blends the practicality of an MPV with the playfulness of a camper van – and a hefty dose of French flair. It’s compact on the outside yet versatile inside and will be making its debut at the Brussels Motor Show on 9 January next year.

Sadly, the name ELO wasn’t inspired by the 70s rock band from Birmingham – it’s rather more tenuous than that. Citroen says it’s a car that invites you to ‘Rest, Play and Work’ and took the second letter from each word for the name of the car. If they’d gone for Work, Rest and Play, they could’ve named it after the world’s second favourite chocolate bar and called it the Mars concept – although NASA might have got there first with that one.

The Citroën ELO follows in the tyre tracks of 2022’s Oli concept, serving as test bed (literally) for the brand’s designers and engineers to explore the future of responsible, joyful mobility.

The Citroen ELO Concept is small on the outside, but with bags of space inside (Citroen)

At just 4.10 metres long, the ELO is shorter than most family hatchbacks but can seat up to six people, transform into a sleeping space for two, and even become a mobile cinema or office – all wrapped up in a cheerful, minimalist orange package.

“ELO is an ideas laboratory that perfectly embodies Citroën’s values,” said Xavier Chardon, Citroën’s CEO. “It’s creative, bold, accessible, responsible and ingenious – a true reflection of our DNA for over 100 years.”

From the outside, the ELO’s bright orange bodywork and contrasting black glasshouse give it real presence. The flat, squared-off surfaces, cheerful lighting signature and honeycomb-style Goodyear tyres lend a sense of playful purpose, while its upright stance harks back to Citroën’s beloved people-carriers and MPVs.

Inside, it’s a different world altogether. The cabin is a vivid sea of orange, with inflatable-style seats finished in a ‘chocolate square’ texture – maybe the Mars reference wasn’t so stupid after all.

In a sea of orange the interior of the Citroen ELO Concept features a central driving seat (Citroen)

Every inch is designed for modularity and fun. The driver’s seat sits centrally for maximum visibility and swivels around to face the rear, while the three rear seats fold, slide and even pop out to become outdoor chairs – a throwback to the Citroën 2CV, which originally came with seats designed to be removed and could be used for picnics en plein air.

The flat floor and pillarless design make it easy to move around inside, and the feeling of space is amplified by 4.5 square metres of glass, creating a light-filled, airy environment that Citroën calls its “C-Zen Lounge”.

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The ELO’s greatest party trick lies in its ability to transform for different uses according to its Rest, Play and Work themes.

For resting, the rear seats fold flat and two inflatable Decathlon mattresses can be installed to create a proper double bed. The rear lamps double as bedside lights, while a built-in projector mount allows you to watch films on a drop-down screen. The panoramic glass roof can even be opened to let you stargaze from your pillow.

The interior of the Citroen ELO Concept can be converted into a camper van complete with cinema screen (Citroen)

If you want to play, the ELO is a base camp for outdoor adventures. Again, working with Decathlon, Citroën has added features like an awning that hooks to the doors, removable seating, and even a built-in air compressor to inflate bikes, paddleboards or airbeds. There’s also V2L (vehicle-to-load) power, so you can plug in a BBQ or speaker system.

And if you need to work, the driver’s seat transforms into an office chair, a fold-out table holds your laptop, and the wide windscreen display can project your video calls or to-do list. It’s a clever response to the rise of hybrid working – an office that truly can go anywhere.

Citroën’s designers wanted every material to serve both form and function. The bumpers and body panels are made from lightweight expanded polypropylene, a material shared with Decathlon’s cycling helmets, while interior storage boxes are created from recycled fabrics used in the earlier Oli concept.

The tyres, co-developed with Goodyear, monitor pressure and wear in real time and even feature colour-coded LED lights to show when they need attention. A clever tread pattern improves efficiency on the road, while orange-grip sections boost traction on rougher ground.

“ELO is the perfect expression of what design should be: combining form and function,” said Pierre Leclercq, Citroën’s design director. “It’s a bubble of energy, practical, fun and full of possibilities.”

ELO’s rounded panels, wraparound glazing and reimagined single-spoke steering wheel give a clear view of where Citroën’s next generation of small EVs might be heading – simple, joyful cars that do more with less. So the new concept looks like a preview of an affordable new wave of electric family vehicles – compact, creative, and utterly charming. In a world of oversized SUVs and digital overload, Citroën’s “little one that thinks big” is a refreshing reminder that less really can be more.