Friday 2 March 2012

FOLDABLE ELECTRIC CITY CAR HIRIKO


HIRIKO  is technologically advanced 100%  electric, compact city car, capable of being folded together when parked, like a child's pusher. In the parking space meant for one car, three city cars can be parked, saving space. Hiriko (meaning 'urban' in Spanish). Hiriko is the answer to reducing road stress and pollution and would prove highly useful in urban areas where parking space is a problem. The car measures 5 feet (1.5 meters) long and has no doors. Instead, passengers enter through an up-swinging windshield. The vehicle's motor is distributed among it's four wheels, each of which contains drive motor, steering, breaking and suspension. The robot wheels of the car enables a zero turn radius, capable of spinning completely in place. This means, the car will be able to spin on it's own axis making maneuvering into tight parking spaces easy. 

Hiriko is powered with  lithium ion battery pack and  is expected to run 120 kilometers in single recharge. Currently 20 test vehicles are being built for 2013 with a target price of U.S.D $ 16,355. Originally the brain child of MIT Media lab,  Hiriko project is promoted by AFYPAIDA which includes strategic collaboration of DENOKINN and MIT's Changing Places Group.

Click on play to watch the video below and see this innovative piece in action. 



Some pictures of Hiriko :






Jose Manuel Barroso (left), President of European Commission with Jesus Echabe (right), President of Hiriko  during a demo of the prototype car.

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