Peugeot Tulip: the tiny electric city car from 1996 that would be a hit today

A prototype ahead of its time that anticipated car sharing, electric mobility and the urban vehicles of the future.

In 1996, Peugeot imagined a model that would fit perfectly into any modern city: the Tulip, a compact 100% electric concept designed exclusively for urban use and intended to be shared. Its radically forward-thinking approach made it a true pioneer in a segment that is now more popular than ever.

A car-sharing pioneer long before urban mobility became a trend

The Tulip’s story began in 1995, when the PSA Group envisioned a new form of mobility: an electric, two-seater, urban-focused vehicle jointly developed by Peugeot and Citroën. Its main revolution was the usage model, as no driver actually owned the car. Instead, the Tulip worked on a subscription basis, using a system almost identical to today’s car-sharing platforms, with phone reservations and dedicated stations to pick it up or drop it off.

To make this service practical, Peugeot implemented several solutions that were futuristic for the time: a roof-mounted light indicating whether the car was available or charging, allowing users to check its status at a glance.

Urban-oriented technology with enough range and remote control

Technically, Peugeot equipped the Tulip with a 9.6 kW electric motor, delivering a top speed of 70 km/h and an estimated range of 80 km, figures perfectly suited to daily city driving. The cabin, designed for two occupants, offered comfort features unusual in prototype cars of that era, including automatic heating and ventilation.

One of its most striking innovations was its remote-control system. The Tulip used a handheld device resembling a mobile phone to open the sliding doors and activate various vehicle functions–essentially an early version of today’s smartphone-connected mobility services.

A joint Peugeot–Citroën project that never reached production

The first official trials took place in the city of Tours, where the Tulip appeared with both Peugeot and Citroën badges, highlighting the shared nature of the project. Despite its potential, the prototype never made it to full-scale production, likely because the market of the 1990s was not yet ready for an urban, electric, shared-use vehicle.

A visionary concept that makes even more sense today

Although it remained a design study, the Peugeot Tulip stands as one of the earliest attempts to create electric urban mobility and shared-service vehicles. Its philosophy aligns perfectly with today’s needs: efficiency, zero emissions, compact dimensions and flexible usage. More than 25 years later, its vision is not only still relevant–it feels more essential now than ever.