Cars are convenient and essential parts of modern life, but they belch fossil fuels and it can be hard to find parking places for them, especially in large cities. One project, the Hiriko Fold, solves both those problems and will go on sale next year.
The car is the result of a collaboration between MIT and DENOKINN, a development agency in the Basque region of Spain. It’s an electric car that folds up when it parks, even though it’s pretty small already. It can go up to 75 miles between charges, which is plenty for ordinary city driving. It’s already in a trial in European cities and will sell for around $15,000 dollars when it does make it to market.
“Projects such as the electric car by HIRIKO play an important role in responding to the crisis, for it combines new business possibilities with the creation of employment and social innovation,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told the Daily Mail, referring to the ongoing economic crisis in Europe.”
If you like this, you might want to check out the Boxx, a tiny folding electric bike about the size of a briefcase. For an art project based on another eco-friendly way to get around, check out some pictures made from used subway tickets.
