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A tiny revolutionary fold-up car designed in Spain
Basque country as the answer to urban stress and pollution was unveiled
Tuesday before hitting European cities in 2013. The Hiriko, the Basque
word for urban, is an electric two-seater with no doors whose motor is
located in the wheels and which folds up like a child’s collapsible
stroller for easy parking.
The idea for the vehicle came from Boston’s MIT-Media lab; the concept
was developed by a consortium of seven small Basque firms under the name
Hiriko Driving Mobility, with a prototype unveiled by European
Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.
Demonstrating for journalists, Barroso clambered in through the fold-up
front windshield of the 1.5-metre-long car.
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“European ideas usually are developed in the United States. This time an
American idea is being made in Europe,” says consortium spokesperson
Gorka Espiau.
Its makers are in talks with a number of European cities to assemble the
tiny cars that can run 120 kilometres without a recharge and whose speed
is electronically set to respect city limits.
They envisage it as a city-owned vehicle, up for hire like the fleets of
bicycles available in many European cities, or put up for sale privately
at around 12,500 euros ($16,368).
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Several cities have shown interest, including Berlin, Barcelona, San
Francisco and Hong Kong. Talks are underway with Paris, London, Boston,
Dubai and Brussels.
The vehicle’s four wheels turn at right angles to facilitate sideways
parking in tight spaces.
The backers describe the Hiriko project as a “European social innovation
initiative offering a systematic solution to major societal challenges:
urban transportation, pollution and job creation.”
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