Hyundai folding car, or a pram?

The sketches are a bit difficult to interpret, but Hyundai’s recently lodged patent for a folding city car show that the quest for the perfect urban conveyance is not over yet.

Filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in January, the new concept from Hyundai’s R&D team details a variable-wheelbase four-wheeler in which front and rear sections slide together to form a package that is suitable for parking in ultra-small spaces.

There are a handful buzz words that excite auto industry executives at present – EV, autonomous cars, ride sharing – and personal mobility is another one. And clearly Hyundai wants to try something different in the latter category.

Although the sketch featured here makes the mite-size Hyundai look something like a baby stroller, it becomes more a Smart ForTwo (in this case a ForOne) once the floor sections slide out and the fold-out windscreen and roof are in place – the former hinging up from the frontal section and the latter from the rear section to create a partly enclosed, protected interior.

The exact dimensions, or the proposed powerplant are not revealed, but it’s to be expected the folding car would rely on electric power, probably driving the rear wheels. And how it would fit with international registration and occupant safety (read: crash testing) laws is unknown.

However the idea of a lightweight, pint-size and weather-protected conveyance as an alternative to other means of getting around the city without the usual parking-space problems is an appealing one.

Just don’t hold your breath.