Last February, we reported on the Hiriko Fold electric car. The product of MIT's CityCar project, along with Denokinn (the Basque Center for Innovation) and a consortium of Spanish businesses, the tiny vehicle can actually tuck its rear end beneath its chassis – this allows it to fit into even the smallest of parking spaces. Recently, it was announced that a fleet of the cars will be used in a car-sharing program in Berlin.
Deutsche Bahn, the company that runs Germany’s railway network, chose the Fold to be part of a pilot project that will begin this year. The Hiriko vehicle was designed with car-sharing programs in mind, and even in its “unfolded” form is shorter than the smart fortwo, which is used in the popular car2go program.
The Fold will be used as a “last mile” step in Deutsche Bahn’s railway network, providing commuters with a means of getting from the train station to their final destination. Some of the cars will be tested on the roads of Berlin this year, with the official program scheduled to begin in 2014.
Source: Hiriko via AutoBlog Green
Seems like a very expensive solution just for a couple of miles after you reach your train station. A bike-sharing program would 1) cost much less, 2) is good exercise, and 3) requires much less power. If people need to carry stuff, the program could include a couple of cargo bikes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freight_bicycle