Hiriko global launch media coverage

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How an electric car scheme plans to drive down social divisions | Society | The Guardi... Page 1 of 3

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How an electric car scheme plans to
drive down social divisions
A public mobility project with a social purpose – Britain should
How an electric car scheme plans to drive down social divisions | Society | The Guardi... Page 2 of 3
sign up now, says Randeep Ramesh

Randeep Ramesh Both London's bike scheme and Hiriko are "public mobility solutions". Both are green
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 17 January 2012 16.59 GMT
transport. But the big difference between them is that whereas London's project
larger | smaller involves a £190m contract to a private company, Serco, to supply and run the scheme,
A i l hi the European Union will adopt Hiriko's "social purpose" model. The car will be built
exclusively in the deprived areas of cities that take up the scheme. And the technology
will be owned by a social enterprise, with private sector companies often getting
involved for free because they view the Hiriko as a test bed for the future – while Madrid
funded the Hiriko project with €15m (£13m), Spanish company Maser-Mic spent €3m
of its own money on the car's "sat nav" system. Each car costs €12,500.

The real insight of Hiriko is that it aims to change the way we live and do social good at
the same time. It's worth noting that the first city to trial Hiriko will be Malmö,
Sweden's third largest city. While Nordic countries are often cited as models of happy,
equal, cohesive nations, officials in Malmö have long been concerned about the growing
divide between the east and west parts of the city. It's not that Malmö is poor – the
former industrial powerhouse has become a centre for architecture and design. But
Could an electric car scheme be adopted in cities throughout Europe? Photograph: Hiriko
while the city has got richer, its social indicators have gone into reverse.

Civil servants were aghast to find pollution and carbon dioxide levels rising at a time
When José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, launches the
when child poverty in the city was growing. It's a combustible mix. In Rosengård, an
Hiriko electronic car next week, he aims to answer a question being asked by much of
immigrant-rich, employment-low part of west Malmö, there have been clashes between
the rest of the world: after the euro, what is the continent for?
local youths and police since unrest in 2008. Last April, cars and recycling stations were
The electric vehicle, developed in Spain, aspires to transform city transport, doing for set alight, while firefighters who attempted to put out the fires were pelted with stones
electric cars what London's "Boris bikes" have done for pedal cycles. The idea is that a and fireworks.
local authority owns a fleet of Hiriko cars and rents one to people when they need it –
To generate jobs and clean up the city, Malmö's council will purchase three Hiriko cars
for a small fee. Hiriko's hi-tech, on-board computers will mean that all the cars are
to test the new form of transport. The idea is that by building them in Rosengård a
instantly located by a smart phone, so they can be left anywhere, and the electric
whole system of support industries (such as designing apps for the on-board computer)
batteries mean they have zero emissions.
will spread in poor areas.

Hiriko's creators believe it is a solution to environmental and social problems – bridging
deepening social divides. After Malmö, the plan is to introduce the car in Berlin,
Barcelona, Vitoria-Gasteiz (the second largest Basque city), San Francisco, and Hong
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jan/17/hiriko-electric-car-social-purpose/print 27/01/2012 Kong. There have been exploratory talks with London. "London would be a great city. It
has the bicycle rental scheme, the congestion charge ... London's large, rich with
deprived areas," says Carlos Fernandez Isoird, Hiriko's technical co-ordinator.

Hiriko's advantages are clear: whereas most companies have a short-term outlook, it
sees a future transformed in 10 years' time. It's a "green shift" that creates jobs –
breaking the link between economic progress and growing carbon dioxide emissions.
This is one instance where Brussels leads, and Britain should follow.

Randeep Ramesh is the Guardian's social affairs editor.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jan/17/hiriko-electric-car-social-purpose/print 27/01/2012


M.I.T. CityCar, Renamed Hiriko, Is Headed to Production - NYTimes.com Page 1 of 2

M.I.T. CityCar, Renamed Hiriko, Is Headed to Production - NYTimes.com Page 2 of 2

JANUARY 25, 2012, 4:42 PM
As originally envisioned by Mr. Mitchell and his lab’s students, the CityCar was less a
M.I.T. CityCar, Renamed Hiriko, Is Headed to Production
vehicle than a system and set of ideas that could be applied to many kinds of vehicles,
By PHIL PATTON
including scooters. The lab’s objective is to preserve the advantages of individual
Getty Images/Getty ImagesJosé Manuel Barroso, with the first prototype of the Hiriko folding electric transportation while minimizing drawbacks like congestion, parking scarcity and
car, on Tuesday at European Union Commission headquarters. tailpipe emissions. The electric cars fold together like shopping carts. They
At European Union Commission headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, the communicate over a central network, much like bicycles in share programs in major
commission chief, José Manuel Barroso, inspected a small city-car prototype. It was European capitals, to alert users where and when one might be available.
the commercial version of the long-gestating CityCar from the Massachusetts Institute The manufacturing project is headed by Armando Gaspar, a Belgian-born former
of Technology Media Lab. engineer for the defunct Daimler-Chrysler consortium. Parts will be sourced from
local manufacturers, and a newly created company, Basque Robot Wheels, will work
Mr. Barroso posed for pictures inside the vehicle, which has been renamed the Hiriko,
on realizing the Hiriko’s trick in-place turning radius, handy for urban
the Basque word for urban. The trial production of 20 cars and a pilot program are maneuverability.
scheduled to begin next year in Spain’s Basque region, at Vitoria Gasteiz, not far from
Dr. Larson wrote in an e-mail that the Hiriko would initially be intended for shared-
Bilbao.
use projects. At Tuesday’s event were representatives of cities that had expressed
Gorka Espiau, a spokesman for the project, wrote in an e-mail that final prices for the interest in starting programs, among them Malmo, Barcelona and Berlin. “The M.I.T.
cars would depend on the number of vehicles ordered by a potential customer. team is studying deployment in those cities, plus Hong Kong and San Francisco,” he
M.I.T.’s partner in the project, the Basque investment group Denokinn, plans to wrote.

deploy the Hiriko in city fleets around the world. Mr. Espiau added that the parties Consistent with Mr. Mitchell’s vision, Mr. Larson added that the student team, headed
were targeting a vehicle price of 12,500 euros, roughly $16,400, if they chose to sell by Ryan Chin, and the designer of the car, William Lark, had also created a three-
the Hiriko to private individuals. wheel E.V. prototype that would also function in bicycle mode and would meet all
European bike-lane regulations.
The podlike electric vehicle, whose battery pack would be leased, is a two-seater with 4
-wheel drive and a range in excess of 100 kilometer, or about 60 miles. Because its
wheelbase can collapse, a single parking space can accommodate three vehicles. Copyright 2012 The New York Times Company Privacy Policy NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

Driver and passenger enter through a windshield that swings upward.

The CityCar project has garnered significant attention over the years, but funding
from General Motors, its initial corporate supporter, ended in 2008, and the resident
visionary of the scheme, Prof. William J. Mitchell, died in 2010. The project is
currently headed by Prof. Kent Larson.

“Reinventing the Automobile: Personal Urban Mobility for the 21st Century,”
published by M.I.T. Press and written by Dr. Mitchell, Chris Borroni-Bird and
Lawrence Burns of General Motors, was dedicated largely to making the case for the
CityCar. The vehicle was also included in the National Design Museum triennial,
called “Why Design Now?“, in 2010.

Along with regional and national officials, the European Union regards the Hiriko as
an asset to the Basque country. Like the Guggenheim Bilbao museum project, which
brought tourists to the old port city, the factory is aimed to help revive the aging
automotive-supplier infrastructure in the region.

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/m-i-t-citycar-renamed-hiriko-is-headed-t... 27/01/2012 http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/m-i-t-citycar-renamed-hiriko-is-headed-t... 27/01/2012


Brussels Launch for Spanish Folding Electric Car - Tech Europe - WSJ Page 1 of 2

JANUARY 20, 2012, 7:13 AM GMT

Brussels Launch for Spanish Folding Electric Car
An American-designed electric city car and made in Spain’s Basque country is to be unveiled next week. It
should be on Europe’s roads in 2013.

The electric fold-up two-seater “Hiriko”, which means “urban” in Basque, is to be formally launched in Brussels on
Tuesday. The first models should be on the streets of Europe’s cities next year.

The idea comes from M.I.T.’s Media Lab. But the concept has been developed by a consortium of small
companies based in Spain’s Basque Country.

The Guardian reports:

The electric vehicle… aspires to transform city transport, doing for
electric cars what London’s “Boris bikes” have done for pedal cycles.

The idea is that a local authority owns a fleet of Hiriko cars and rents
one to people when they need it – for a small fee. Hiriko’s hi-tech, on-
board computers will mean that all the cars are instantly located by a
smart phone, so they can be left anywhere, and the electric batteries
mean they have zero emissions.

Both London’s bike scheme and Hiriko are “public mobility solutions”.
Both are green transport. But the big difference between them is that
whereas London’s project involves a £190m contract to a private
company, Serco, to supply and run the scheme, the European
Union will adopt Hiriko’s “social purpose” model.

The car will be built exclusively in the deprived areas of cities that take
up the scheme. And the technology will be owned by a social enterprise,
with private sector companies often getting involved for free because
they view the Hiriko as a test bed for the future – while Madrid funded
the Hiriko project with €15m (£13m), Spanish company Maser-Mic
spent €3 million of its own money on the car’s “sat nav” system. Each
car costs €12,500…

Hiriko’s creators believe it is a solution to environmental and social
problems – bridging deepening social divides. After Malmö, the plan is
to introduce the car in Berlin, Barcelona, Vitoria-Gasteiz (the second
largest Basque city), San Francisco, and Hong Kong.

http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2012/01/20/brussels-launch-for-spanish-folding-elec... 27/01/2012


Folding car moves closer to reality - Telegraph Page 1 of 2 Folding car moves closer to reality - Telegraph Page 2 of 2

Several European and American cities are to be the scenes for the initial trials. Such trials will closely resemble in
execution Paris's new electric car hire/share scheme Autolib, according to the makers. Trials begin in autumn this year
in cities such as Bilbao, Malmo and Boston.
Folding car moves closer to reality
Passenger and driver enter and leave the Hiriko through a single door on the front of the car. A conventional steering
The Hiriko folding electric car is set to be launched this week before going into production next wheel will be replaced by a joystick arrangement or a "haptic" steering wheel that physically tugs at a driver's fingers
year. when told to do so by the on board navigation systems.

Alexei Sayle: my electric car (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/green-motoring/8997390/Alexei-Sayle-my-electric-
car.html)

Hyundai ix35 fuel-cell review (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/carreviews/8989897/Hyundai-ix35-fuel-cell-
review.html)

Volkswagen Passat Bluemotion (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/carreviews/8958803/Volkswagen-Passat-
Bluemotion-review.html)

Boris test drives new bus (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motoringvideo/8961901/Boris-Johnson-My-
Routemaster-bus-is-a-British-style-icon.html)

Seat Mii review (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/carreviews/8930898/Seat-Mii-review.html)

The Hiriko folding car is a two-seater Eco Hero: The green car rally organiser (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/green-motoring/8654427/Eco-Hero-The-
green-car-rally-organiser.html)
By Michael Fitzpatrick

11:26AM GMT 23 Jan 2012
Production of 20 test vehicles is underway at Vitoria-Gasteiz in the Basque country, which is expected to turn out
commercial versions in the spring of 2013 for the consortium behind the venture.
53 Comments (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/green-motoring/9032363/Folding-car-moves-closer-to-
reality.html#disqus_thread) "I call this mobility on demand," says Ryan Chin, the researcher behind the concept thought up at the MIT labs in the
1980s. "Hiriko's technology and green footprint is five times better than you find in today's Smart cars."
An electric car prototype that folds into itself to save parking space, and is powered by four in-wheel motors, will be
launched tomorrow (Tuesday, January 24) by José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, in Madrid is backing the project with 15m euros (£13m) in grants for the cars, which will cost 12,500 euros each to build.
Brussels.

The two-seat Hiriko, tipped to receive endorsement from EU leaders at its launch, is the result of a partnership of
Basque businesses, the Spanish government and the US's renowned MIT Media Lab. The tiny bubble car is tipped to © Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2012

go into production in Spain next year.

Each wheel is independently driven and steered by "robot" in-wheel electric motors making for extra manoeuvrability,
while the rear of the capsule-like city car can slip under the chassis. It then only takes up two-thirds of the footprint of a
Smart car, claim its makers. The consortium behind the project hope this will allow cities to free up some of the many
square miles of precious space parked cars currently inhabit.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/green-motoring/9032363/Folding-car-moves-clo... 27/01/2012 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/green-motoring/9032363/Folding-car-moves-clo... 27/01/2012


A new vision for the city of the future - Fortune Tech Page 1 of 3

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As the world population expands, cities will have to transform to meet the challenge. Here
come foldable cars and flexible apartments.

By Alex Konrad, reporter

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headquarters in Brussels this month under the project name Hiriko.
Contributors
MIT's Media Lab is also working on what it dubs the CityHome. Again, greater flexibility is key. The
CityHome concept takes a Murphy-bed approach. A bedroom can double as anything from a PHILIP ELMER-DEWITT

kitchen to a personal gym with stoves, fridges, and StairMasters swinging out from hidden panels Smartphone wars: Apple won the
in the walls. Larson says that the customization cost for a small apartment would be as much as quarter, Samsung the year
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apartment could be 10 times that amount. MIT hopes to launch pilot programs in the Boston area.
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The biggest hang-up for adoption? Parking spaces for the denser housing. The problem is solved - The hot tech gig of 2022: Data
- surprise -- by matching the CityHome with the CityCar. scientist

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http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/04/cities-of-the-future/ 27/01/2012


Druckversion - Kleinstwagen Hiriko: Falter mit Elektromotor - SPIEGEL ONLINE - ... Page 1 of 1

24. Januar 2012, 19:45 Uhr

Kleinstwagen Hiriko

Falter mit Elektromotor
Der Traum von Millionen Parkplatzsuchern: Ein Auto, das sich schrumpfen lässt und in
jede Lücke passt. Ein kleiner Baske macht diesen Wunsch nun wahr.

In Brüssel ist am Dienstag das Elektroauto Hiriko Citycar präsentiert worden. Der Wagen sieht aus
wie ein Regentropfen auf vier Rädern und ist genauso geschmeidig: Auf Knopfdruck faltet sich der
Zweisitzer auf ganze 1,50 Meter zusammen. Der Fahrer kann die Frontscheibe hochklappen und
nach vorne aussteigen - wie bei der legendären Isetta. Vier Elektromotoren treiben das Auto an,
maximal bringt es 90 Stundenkilometer auf den Asphalt.

Hiriko ist baskisch und heißt "für die Stadt" - ein Verweis auf die Herkunft des Wagens. Hiriko ist
ein Gemeinschaftsprojekt des Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) und des spanischen
Innovationszentrums Denokinn und wurde im spanischen Baskenland entwickelt. Die EU hat den
Bau des Faltautos mit Geldern zur Förderung benachteiligter Regionen unterstützt.

2010 war der Zwerg das erste Mal der Öffentlichkeit vorgestellt worden, nächstes Jahr soll er nun
auf die Straße rollen und sich in die Parkritzen zwängen. Der Preis wird nach Herstellerangaben
bei etwa 12.500 Euro für private Käufer liegen. Vor allem soll der Kleinstwagen aber im Car-
Sharing zum Einsatz kommen.

cst/dpa

URL:

http://www.spiegel.de/auto/aktuell/0,1518,811172,00.html

© SPIEGEL ONLINE 2012
Alle Rechte vorbehalten
Vervielfältigung nur mit Genehmigung der SPIEGELnet GmbH

http://www.spiegel.de/auto/aktuell/0,1518,druck-811172,00.html 27/01/2012


Car Sharing With Crazy Folding Cars Is Coming To Europe | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation 27/01/12 16:53

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IMAGE BY: HIRIKO

Car Sharing With Crazy
Folding Cars Is Coming To C o. Exi st

Europe
WORLD CHANGING IDEAS
AND INNOVATION

The tiny Hiriko can fold up so it ts three to a normal parking spot, making
it perfect for deploying in a crowded European city. Will you get out of your
next car rental through the roof?

0 156 9

The next great electric car may not be from GM, Ford, or even upstarts like Tesla and
Coda. The Hiriko (it means "urban car" in Basque) can fold up in small parking spaces,
has a 75-mile range on all-electric power, wheels that rotate 360 degrees (for the
ultimate tight turn), a cost of $16,210--and it was conceived of by MIT’s Media Lab.

A prototype of Hiriko, which was developed in collaboration with seven automotive ADVERTISEMENT
suppliers in Spain, is so compact that passengers can only get out by pushing the glass
shell open. It’s a good thing the car doesn’t require gas; there isn’t even room for a gas

01
tank. But when folded, three Hiriko vehicles can t into a single parking space.

MIT’s seven collaborators will all contribute to production of the vehicle, with each one
producing di erent core components (i.e. battery system, vehicle chassis, interior, etc.).
/5
2
Commercial versions of the vehicle are expected to be ready by 2013. TWO THOUSAND
AND TWELVE

The vehicle will be deployed in Europe using a car-sharing model a la Zipcar, but run by
city governments. No word yet on which city will be the rst to test out Hiriko, but
Berlin and Barcelona have expressed interest, as have the Galapagos Islands and San EDITOR'S PICKS
Francisco. Don’t be surprised if a Spanish city gets dibs; the Hiriko project notes on its
website that the project "is born with a clear vision of transforming and regenerating the
industrial grid in both Alava and the Basque Country."

http://www.fastcoexist.com/1679194/car-sharing-with-crazy-folding-cars-is-coming-to-europe Página 1 de 4

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Barroso: "El coche eléctrico Hiriko es
un proyecto ejemplar para salir de la
crisis"
El automóvil, promovido por el consorcio de empresas vascas Hiriko, se
comercializará en 2013 con un precio de 12.500 euros
Vida | 24/01/2012 - 19:57h

10 1366 visitas Notificar error Tengo más Información

7 Mi piace 0 0 El presidente de la Comisión Europea, Durao Barroso, y el
presidente de Hiriko, Jesús Echave, en la presentación de coche
eléctrico Getty Images
Bruselas (Europa Press).- El presidente de la Comisión Europea, Jose Manuel Durao Barroso,
ha asegurado este martes que el coche eléctrico promovido por el consorcio de empresas
Publicidad
vascas Hiriko es un ejemplo de los proyectos de innovación social que Europa necesita
desarrollar para salir de la crisis económica y responder perfectamente al triple objetivo de la UE
de impulsar un crecimiento "inteligente, sostenible e inclusivo" durante el lanzamiento
multitudinario del primer prototipo del vehículo en Bruselas.

"Este proyecto y otros son una parte importante de la respuesta a la crisis en Europa", ha
subrayado el presidente del Ejecutivo comunitario, que ha recordado que el nacimiento de Hiriko
ha sido realidad gracias en parte a ayudas europeas del Fondo Social Europeo para promover
el empleo en regiones desfavorecidas. Barroso ha insistido en que pese al contexto de crisis los
países de la UE deben "acelerar" las políticas que potencien el crecimiento innovador y los
empleos verdes. "Lo digo siempre es importante la consolidación presupuestaria pero también
es muy importante el crecimiento y Europa puede crecer si hay más innovación", ha insistido.

El proyecto Hiriko, en el que participan las empresas Guardian, SAPA, TMA, Forging Products,
BRW, Maser MIC, Ingeinnova coordinadas por Denokinn, partió del trabajo conceptual del
profesor Bill Mitchell del Instituto de Tecnología de Massachussets y "ha cobrado vida" gracias
al Parque de Innovación Social de Bilbao y al compromiso de ciudades como Victoria y
Barcelona, así como la sueca Malmö, Berlín o San Francisco para desarrollarlo, ha recordado
Barroso. Pero también ha destacado la figura clave del prestigioso innovador y directivo de la
empresa Cisco Diego Vasconcelos -fallecido el pasado mes de julio- para la materialización del
proyecto como uno de los pioneros del concepto de innovación social durante la ceremonia de
lanzamiento del prototipo. "Diego fue una persona de energía y carisma increíbles. Nunca dejó
de mirar adelante, de desarrollar y conectar ideas e implicar a gente nueva, siempre con un
objetivo en mente: un futuro mejor para todos", ha recalcado Barroso, que ha prometido crear
en breve un nuevo premio de innovación social con su nombre.

El presidente de Hiriko, Jesús Echave, ha reconocido que fue Vasconcelos quien "se enteró" del
proyecto del consorcio vasco y puso el mismo en conocimiento de Barroso. "Tenían una gran
amistad y tenían habían relaciones profesionales y de ahí vino este contacto", ha explicado en
declaraciones a los medios, notablemente satisfecho por la buena acogida del proyecto.

Plantas de ensamblaje
Echave ha avanzado que esperan empezar la producción del vehículo eléctrico electrónico "más
o menos en serie" en 2013, una vez se terminen este año los 20 prototipos del vehículo que
quieren homologar y ha confirmado que Vitoria acogerá la primera planta de montaje. Publicidad

"Posteriormente se irá exportando este tipo de plantas a todo el mundo, a las ciudades con las
que hagamos los contratos correspondientes", ha explicado. Las ciudades de Vitoria, Barcelona,
la sueca Malmö, Berlín, Boston y San Francisco acogerán plantas de montaje en el futuro,
mientras que las piezas y los módulos se fabricarán todos en Euskadi y posteriormente se
distribuirán a las plantas de montaje, según ha explicado Echave, que ha descartado a priori
que más ciudades vascas acojan plantas de ensamblaje porque "el volumen de vehículos en
principio no va a ser gran grande".

El alcalde de Vitoria, Javier Maroto, ha avanzado que el proyecto Hiriko "puede suponer 800
puestos de trabajo relacionados con el empleo verde" para la ciudad y ha subrayado su

http://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20120124/54245299956/hiriko-coche-electrico-du... 30/01/2012


Barroso: Page 2 of 5

potencial de inversión "para transformar a la ciudad" y promover "el cambio social que necesita
Europa". "Es la mejor manera de presentar la Green Capital 2012" que acogerá Vitoria, ha
recalcado.

Sin embargo, ciudades como Londres y la brasileña de Florianópolis ya han mostrado su interés
en el proyecto y tampoco se descarta que se sumen nuevas ciudades de países como Ecuador,
Chile o Argentina, según fuentes del consorcio. "Hemos encontrado mucha receptividad en
Sudamérica y en Estados Unidos", ha reconocido Echave, que ha confirmado que el contrato
con la ciudad brasileña ya está firmado. "Se busca mucho el poder hacerlo en cada país, cada
ciudad. Son plantas pequeñas, dan trabajo y ese ha sido un factor muy importante", ha
explicado el presidente del consorcio. Según sus cálculos cada planta de montaje podría
traducirse en 15 o 20 empleos directos.

Inversión y características
El presidente de Hiriko ha cifrado en "40,50 millones" la inversión del proyecto para completar
su desarrollo, aunque la cifra total podría elevarse hasta los 170 millones "contando todos los
países" que se podrían sumar al mismo. El Ministerio de Industria español ha aportado LO MÁS
"aproximadamente 15 millones de euros" al proyecto, que también ha contado con "algunas"
LO MÁS VISTO
aportaciones de particulares e inversiones "muy fuertes" de los cofrabricantes.
1 Fallece el periodista deportivo Daniel Montesinos en un
Hiriko, con cuatro motores rueda incorporados, tendrá una velocidad limitada a 50 kilómetros accidente de moto 18545 visitas
por hora, aunque por homologación podrá llegar hasta los 90. Y su reducido tamaño -se pueden
2 Anonymous publica datos privados de Sinde, Wert y
aparcar casi cuatro Hirikos en el espacio de un turismo normal- y "la facilidad" de movimiento o partidarios de su ley 14853 visitas
"la falta de ruido" permitirán una transformación "brutal" en las ciudades, asegura Echave.
Además, Hiriko ya se plantea desarrollar otros modelos tipo 'pick up' y autobuses pequeños de 9 3 El colapso de Spanair deja en el aire deudas por más de
350 millones 14196 visitas
o 10 plazas.
4 La crisis de deuda pública tiene similitudes con la vivida en
Echave se ha mostrado convencido de que Hiriko superará "rápido" el avance del coche híbrido 1400 13164 visitas
gracias a la evolución tecnológica de las nuevas baterías de recarga, el problema fundamental
5 Polémica en la red por una foto de la hija de Hugo
en la actualidad. El coche tendrá un precio de unos 12.500 euros. El consorcio promoverá a Chávez 9574 visitas
Hiriko entre las administraciones públicas y compañías de alquiler de vehículos y en un
momento posterior también a particulares. LO MÁS COMENTADO
Ir a Lo más
Demostración sin vuelta
Barroso y Echave han subido juntos al prototipo del vehículo eléctrico durante la ceremonia del
lanzamiento del primer prototipo en la explanada sita frente a la sede de la Comisión Europea
entre gran expectación de representantes de la industria, cargos institucionales y medios.
AL MINUTO
Finalmente no han podido dar una vuelta en el vehículo, como estaba inicialmente previsto,
porque el módulo de mando "se ha quemado" por el excesivo frío y humedad de estos días en 09:28 El viento, el frío o la lluvia mantienen en alerta a ocho
la capital belga, que ha formado una capa de hielo sobre el cristal del módulo del mando, según comunidades
ha explicado el propio Echave. "Teníamos miedo de que hubiese un conato de incendio y
09:24 Francia espera salir de la "ralentización" económica a
hemos preferido no arriesgar", ha reconocido. final de año
PUBLICIDAD. Calcula tu presupuesto en 2 min, Ahorra hasta un 40% con Regal!
09:15 España se asoma a la recesión tras caer su PIB
trimestral un 0,3%
10 1366 visitas Notificar error Tengo más Información
09:07 La ofensiva del ejército sirio en Damasco causa ocho
muertos
7 Mi piace 0 0
09:03 Mas-Colell: "No renunciaremos a tener vuelos
Publicidad intercontinentales"

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Electric cars: Hiriko vert | The Economist Page 1 of 6

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Electric cars Reprints & permissions

Hiriko vert
Jan 27th 2012, 15:20 by C.F. | BONN About Babbage
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UNLIKE their American counterparts, European carmakers have long been associated with
small, compact runarounds like the Fiat 500, Citroen 2CV, Mini Cooper, or more recently
the Smart car. That has always made sense. Many roads are narrower and parking spaces
pokier in Europe than they are across the Atlantic. And most people rarely drive the vast
distances where a bigger car's greater comfort is worth paying for (though, in fairness, nor
do most Americans—at least not any more). Now, a consortium of seven firms from
Spain's Basque country and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab
have taken this to extremes. Trending topics
Read comments on the site's most popular topics
Their prototype of a tiny electric vehicle was unveiled on January 24th by José Manuel
Period: 1 day 1 week 2 weeks 30 days
Barroso, the president of the European Commssion, who climbed into the car, gave a
thumbs-up, and called it a “systematic solution to major societal challenges”. The two- View full-sized opinion cloud »
door Hiriko, whose name derives from the Basque word for "city" or "urban", was designed
Sponsored by
by MIT engineers, but built by Basques. Starting next year, a trial manufacturing run is set
to begin at Vitoria Gasteiz, outside Bilbao.

The Hiriko is brimming with sexy gimmicks. It folds upwards when parked, scrunching up
to one-third the length of a standard European parking space. Like some compacts models
of old, both passenger and driver enter through a folded-out windshield. Its wheels that Economist blogs
can turn 90 degrees, to make parallel parking nightmares a thing of the past. Americas view | The Americas

Denokinn, the Basque investment group backing the venture, wants to price the Hiriko at Babbage | Science and technology

€12,500 ($16,400). The company is planning to flog the cars to cities across Europe Bagehot's notebook | British politics
looking to expand their car-sharing schemes: so far Berlin, Barcelona and Malmö have Banyan | Asia
expressed interest. The car's limited range of 120km per charge may put off range- Baobab | Africa
anxious individual buyers.
Blighty | Britain

However, although many consumers and cities are looking to save cash (and the planet), Buttonwood's notebook | Financial markets
supercompact cars have not done nearly as well as their proponents had hoped. Sales of Cassandra | The World in 2012
city cars, known is the industry as “A-segment”, have stagnated in the last year, their Charlemagne's notebook | European politics
global sales slumping from 6.2m units in 2010 to about 5.9m in 2011, according to figures Clausewitz | Defence, security and diplomacy
from IHS Global Insight, a research outfit. It expects city-car sales to rebound slightly in
Democracy in America | American politics
2012, to around 6.1m. Smart, a joint project between Germany's Daimler and Swatch, a
Eastern approaches | Ex-communist Europe
Swiss watchmaker, has sold under a million units worldwide in the last ten years. And car-
sharing schemes, like Zipcar, the largest company, have not warmed to electric vehicles, Free exchange | Economics

relying instead on traditional combustion engines, as well as some hybrids. Game theory | Sports
Graphic detail | Charts, maps and infographics
Gulliver | Business travel

http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/01/electric-cars?fsrc=gn_ep 30/01/2012


Electric cars: Hiriko vert | The Economist Page 2 of 6

Tim Urquhart of IHS notes that cars like the Hiriko are low-value, low price "and, Johnson | Language
therefore, they are low-margin". The Basque start-up has a big hill to climb, one that Leviathan | Public policy
Daimler and Renault, its French rival, have been struggling up for some time. Lexington's notebook | American politics
Multimedia | Audio, video and videographics
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TOPIC: Europe » TOPIC: Basque Country »
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WhiskyTangoFoxtrot Jan 29th 2012 19:11 GMT

Are such small cars safe? I mean I've been hearing about how car-makers lately have
been going to lengths to decrease the likelihood of passenger injury in the event of a
crash, and I can only imagine that a smaller car would offer less protection.

Recommend 0 Report Permalink Reply

Nirvana-bound Jan 29th 2012 16:15 GMT

If Iran retaliates to the trade embargos it faces from western countries & stops selling oil
to the West, gas prices will soar here & then electric cars like "Hiriko" & other tiny
compacts will surely gain in popularity. Not by choice, but by necessity, needless to say.

So "Why this Kolaveri"?? Live & let live, for our own sakes. Stop meddeling in the
internal affairs of other sovereign nations, for crying out loud..

Recommend 1 Report Permalink Reply

DevaSatyam Jan 29th 2012 15:44 GMT

I certainly like the concept of small, electric vehicles for rental/sharing within the cities
and I'm glad Hiriko is meant for that. However, the design of this particular vehicle
doesn't seem to be practical.

In the launch video, it is quite evident how hard it is for people to board it. The door
provides a handy umbrella for those rainy days so frequent around the Bay of Biscay,
but it is so low that banging your head against it must be quite frequent. From that

http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/01/electric-cars?fsrc=gn_ep 30/01/2012


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