We don't drive as much as perhaps we think we do. Figures from the Central Statistics Office for 2021 show that over half of motorists in Dublin have average journeys of 15 minutes or less, and the figure is even higher for all areas outside Dublin, with the figure rising to 58.9%
Less than one in 20 journeys countrywide are longer than one hour.
Allowing for the fact that some of these shorter journeys may be made a few times a day, the figures are still very revealing in terms of daily car use.
And yet we are mostly still driving cars that are heavy, use considerable amounts of fuel, and are probably bigger vehicles than most drivers need.
This is where Dacia sees a niche opportunity. Its Hipster Concept might be just that, but as a proposition, it makes considerable sense in the context of those figures and even more so if we take into account that most traffic congestion involves cars with one occupant.
If it goes into production, we can expect a car with everything pared right back to basics and presumably a rock bottom price.
The footprint will be tiny - just three metres long, 1.5 metres high and 1.55 metres wide - an "ultra compact" format that represents, according to Dacia, " a unique proposition that does not currently exist on the market". The company concedes it will be a "block on wheels", with no overhang whatsoever.
Although it is a four-seater, you can expect it to be a tiny one, given those dimensions, and it’s more likely to be a reasonably comfortable two-seater if the dimensions of the small Dacia Spring EV are anything to go by.
In terms of weight, the Hipster is intended to be 20% lighter than the Spring, meaning less mass to be moved and less energy to be consumed.
The battery is likely to be equally tiny, but based on those urban driving durations across Europe (in France, some 94% of drivers travel less than 40 kilometres), Dacia says the Hipster battery should only require charging twice a week.
The company is describing that car as "ultra affordable", which is code for it being pared back to the very minimum. No frills may well mean not a single frill.
For example, the driver will rely on their smartphone for functions such as navigation, seats will be made of mesh, the front windows will slide rather than be electrified to reduce costs and weight and the door handle will instead become a strap for the same reasons. Even the speaker will be a portable Bluetooth unit. You get the idea.
Boot space will also be dictated by the dimensions outlined above. It will have a basic capacity of 50 litres - enough for a very small amount of shopping - unless the rear seats are folded to provide 500 litres. This is the capacity of the current Spring.
Whether the Hipster goes into production will be dictated to a significant degree by the reaction to the prototype.
We can be more certain, however, that if it doesn’t go into production, then either Dacia or other manufacturers will start producing a car on a similar scale.
Not for you? Maybe if its price is nearer to that of a new motorbike than a new car, it just might be.
