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Folding electric car prototype launched in Spain
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
An innovative folding electric car prototype that folds into itself to save parking space was launched in Spain last month.
The EU-endorsed two-seater vehicle, called the Hiriko, is a result of a unique partnership between Basque businesses, the Spanish government and US experts, MIT Media Lab.
“Robot” in-wheel electric motors drive each wheel independently making for extra manoeuvrability, while the rear of the capsule-shaped car can fold underneath its chassis to free up valuable car parking space in major Spanish towns and cities.
The Hiriko is said to have just two-thirds of the carbon footprint of a Smart car and the project’s leaders hope this will spark interest in electric car transportation in other cities, with trials expected in Bilbao, Malmo and Boston later this year.
There is very little that’s conventional about the Hiriko, with driver and passenger both entering and leaving the car via a single door at the front. Meanwhile the traditional steering wheel is also replaced by a “haptic” joystick-style steering device.
Ryan Chin, researcher behind the concept developed within the MIT labs in the 1980s, said: “I call this mobility on demand. Hiriko’s technology and green footprint is five times better than you find in today’s Smart cars.”
Commercial versions of the vehicle are expected to be available come spring 2013, with Madrid backing the project with €15 million in grants for vehicles that are expected to cost €12,500 each to build.
Electric vehicles are just one of the ways drivers can look after the wider environment. Owners of end-of-life petrol or diesel cars can scrap their cars for cash in a safe and efficient manner. Car recycling is not a new phenomenon. At ASM Auto Recycling we have been dismantling, cleaning and recycling used cars for over 20 years and are now regarded as one of the UK’s most modern and professional used car parts recyclers.
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