Visitors Now:
Total Visits:
Total Stories:

By Aaron Turpen (Reporter)
Contributor profile | More stories

Story Views
Now:
Last Hour:
Last 24 Hours:
Total:

MITs Folding Concept Car, The Hiriko

Sunday, February 19, 2012 2:20

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

(Before It's News)

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a new urban commuter car that “folds” up for storage, making it much easier to park out of the way, taking up about the same horizontal space as a bicycle. The car, called the Hiriko, has a chance of actually getting built and tested in Spain.

The way the little commuter, which seats two, works is to remove the doors and instead have the car hinged at the center so that it rises upwards while folding the wheels inwards:

This means the car can park three to a normal car’s parking space, all in a line. The same design allows passengers to get into the car through the hinged top, which opens without folding the car. The car can fold with passengers inside, however, allowing it to be parked in its super-compact form.

The Hiriko is electric with a small motor in each wheel hub. Steering, braking, and suspension are independent on each wheel, giving it the ability to be modular for repairs and replacements.

If the cars are built and successfully tested, they will go to market, MIT researchers hope, with a price tag at or under $ 12,500 USD.