Hiriko Fold, An Electric Car That Folds for Easy

Hiriko Fold is a new electric city car that can fold to shorten its length to just under five

Hiriko Fold, an Electric Car That Folds for Easy-

Hiriko Fold is a new electric city car that can fold to shorten its length to just under five feet (video). The car has a host of other innovations: Its four “Robot Wheels” each contain their own electric motor and can turn 60 degrees left or right, allowing car to drive sideways or spin in a circle. Instead of a steering wheel and pedals, the car has an aircraft-style yoke. And its two passengers enter and exit the car through the windshield. Hiriko Fold is intended for use as an urban cars haring vehicle.

Hiriko began its life 10 years ago as a research project at MIT Media Lab. Two years ago MIT and the Spanish government collaborated to launch a commercial venture in the Basque region of Spain. Twenty cars are already on the road as test vehicles. Hiriko Fold will go on sale in 2013 for about $16,000. The car will initially be sold to municipal governments. Launch customers include San Francisco, Barcelona, and Berlin.

HIRIKO is a new concept of urban mobility. A new way of understanding the relationship between the city, its citizens and their vehicles.Much easier, more accessible.Technologically very advanced: a 100% electric vehicle.And, the first entirely electric vehicle.

A project that has been conceived from the concern of providing an innovative solution to mobility in the new cities.More sustainable, more social and smarter cities.

The HIRIKO project is an initiative promoted by AFYPAIDA which includes the strategic collaboration of DENOKINN and the MIT's Changing Places Group.

This project was born in January of 2010. During this time, the “city car” concept developed by the MIT has been picked-up and an enterprise consortium has been formed of co-manufacturing enterprises that have developed its initial prototype and industrialization by means of an innovative production and distribution model.