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Hiriko Folding City Car To Begin Production in 2013

Perhaps its name doesn't say much, but it may well revolutionize all our lives.

Hiriko, the foldable, two-seat electric car should be presented in Berlin next month, and production is expected to launch in Spring 2013 after the Geneva Motor Show. The vehicle should be self-service by the end of next year in several cities: Barcelona, ??London, Boston, Berlin or Paris have expressed great interest in the model. The car will also be sold to individuals for 12,500 euros without the battery, which likely will be leased on a monthly basis.

The idea is clever: Hiriko ("urban" in Basque) has a sliding rear section onto which the front passenger cabin retract. In its folded position the car measure just 1, 5 meter, enough to relegate its competitors Smart (2.7 meters) Fiat 500 (3.55 meters) to the rank of ponderous road diplodocus. In addition, the vehicle can rotate 360 ° with electric motors mounted on each wheel, thereby avoiding any tricky reverse.

Powered lithium-ion batteries, the Hiriko has a estimated road range of upwards of 120 km and can be recharged in 15 minutes. The 20 hp vehicle limits its top speed to 60 km / h, strictly limiting its use to city centers.

Hiriko will be available in three models: Hiriko Fold; Alai, a convertible version; and Laga, a mini pickup.

Originally called City Car, the Hiriko concept was born in the laboratories of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the mid 2000s. In 2009, Basque entrepreneurs interested in the project decided to work with the prestigious American university to develop the concept. The "DenokInn"consortium , which includes SMEs and automotive OEM Vitoria-Gasteiz, was created in the wake and the first prototype, which was completed in September Hiriko 2011.

Translated via Google from Lyon Femmes.

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