Dacia’s boxy concept is a practical future EV that I can get behind

I know it’s just a concept, but there are a lot of clever ideas in the new Dacia Hipster electric car (EV) that make me wish I could buy one straight away. There’s a lot more to this Kei car-inspired mockup than built-to-cost components.

The overarching idea behind the Hipster is a focus on only the essentials for everyday mobility: reducing overall size, components, weight and ultimately costs.

I also appreciate the thinking behind the hipster’s angular and bold look. “Our ambition in reinventing the true people’s car was to give it a distinctive and memorable design,” explains Romain Gauvin, Head of Advanced Design at Dacia. “A car that can be sketched in three strokes of a pencil.”

The concept is less than 3 meters long, which means you can park it almost anywhere without a second thought. It only weighs around 800kg and should be able to travel around 200km on a single charge. That’s not much by today’s EV standards, but then again, this is about simplifying your commute, not getting you across the country.

The door handles are actually nothing more than canvas straps that you can pull to enter the space-saving, practical cabin. It’s surprisingly spacious, with a high roof and narrow-backed seats, allowing four tall adults to be carried in comfort.

Dacia UK

In the driver’s seat, behind the steering wheel, you’ll see a portrait-style dashboard screen displaying your car’s vital signs and… not much else. This was done on purpose, because Dacia was looking for as many ways as possible to keep costs low.

Dacia UK

To this end, it has implemented its YouClip system with 11 points where you can place accessories that simply click into place in the interior. That includes your phone for infotainment, cup holders, fans, a cabin light on the roof and a wireless speaker. The airbag module is visible on the passenger side, adding to the spartan aesthetic.

Dacia UK

At first glance, the split rear hatch reveals a tiny 70-litre boot: but fold the rear headrests to each side and lower the rear seats, and you have a huge 500 liters of storage space.

Dacia UK

There are a few more nice touches, like the simple LED clusters for the headlights and taillights that forego custom lenses and simply sit behind glass panels, the Dacia logo stamped into the roof panel, and the high hood and flat side of the body.

Dacia UK

I like the idea of ​​a cheap electric car purpose-built to get you around town without hassle, and the Hipster could be what the market needs.

Dacia UK

The fact that Dacia has created a working prototype of the Hipster gives me hope that it may one day roll off the assembly line in some form. Hopefully it will find the economics to make that happen right away – or at least inspire more automakers to think about understated EVs.

Source: Dacia UK