MIT’s Folding Car

The Massachusetts establishment of Technology (MIT) could be a hub for brand spanking new technology, and has their sights attack being the catalyst for finally pushing the electrical automobile revolution over the sting.In 2013, the Hinoko are going to be free to the lots of crosswise Europe for making the Smart complete cars nearly obsolete.

One of the main and simplest feature of the new Hiroko is that it is improbably simple to park in small areas, with the technology to suit in one third of a automobile parking space when being Folded up.

The car is not designed to be a Smart competitor. it is a bit cleverer than that.It folds in the middle to minimize the amount of room it takes up, and three of the vehicles can fit in a typical parking spot once folded.

Making a car that folds throws up some problems. As a result, the Hiriko has an upward-swinging windshield instead of doors, and each of its wheels have dedicated drive motors, steering, braking, and suspension to maintain space in the cabin. Those wheels mean it can turn on the spot, too.

The model that is going into testing has a 60 mile range, and although at some point in the future it may be sold to individuals,the current model that MIT plans to roll out is based on sharing.Much like shared bicycle projects popping up in plenty of big cities, these cars could be used for short periods of time by anyone signed up to the scheme. The eventual target cost is $12,500.

The first test project aims to kick off by 2013 in Vitoria Gasteiz near Bilbao, Spain, where 20 cars will be available. Apparently San Francisco, Berlin, Barcelona, Malmö, and Hong Kong have all sown interest in the scheme, too, but there is no word on when it will spread to other cities.