Automakers hate regulations. Whether it’s safety- or efficiency-related, regulations essentially define all restrictions for designs, equipment, and powertrains. Regulations provide the framework that automakers must follow if they want to make a car they can sell on the road. Most of the time, adhering to those regulations means lots of added costs, whether that’s from extra engineering, differing design, or added equipment. All of that stuff makes cars more complex and usually heavier.
Dacia, the Romanian manufacturer known for building the cheapest car in Europe, has a new concept that subverts those ideas. On first glance, you’d think the Hipster, a blocky, tall hatchback with small wheels, a stubby nose, and near-zero overhangs, was meant for the streets of Japan. It looks like a Kei car lifted straight from 2033. But it’s not—this funky hatch is meant for European roads.
The Hipster is a proof-of-concept idea to show consumers and lawmakers alike what’s possible for the cheap EV segment when manufacturers are unburdened with certain safety and tech regulations that have made many of today’s modern EVs so heavy and complex. It prioritizes simplicity and lightweight construction to drive costs down and improve efficiency. It’s the type of EV people should be demanding from automakers and regulators alike.
The Hipster is 20 percent lighter than the company’s current production EV (and the cheapest EV in Europe), the Spring. It’s also physically small, being shorter than the current Fiat 500e. Compared to today’s average EV, the tiny hatch costs less to run and delivers a smaller total carbon footprint, because it needs less raw material and less energy to build.
Despite that, the Hipster can fit four adults and “meet the real needs” of customers when it comes to range. Dacia doesn’t specify a battery size, but says it can swing “daily journeys” with just two recharges per week. The company then notes that in France, 94% of drivers travel less than 24 miles per day (in America, that number is much higher, at 42 miles, per Axios).
The Hipster’s interior is similarly bare-bones. The hard plastic-riddled cabin has next to nothing in the way of equipment, aside from a portrait-style screen in front of the driver for essential functions. There’s a mount for your smartphone on the dashboard, which also serves as the car’s audio hub (there’s only one speaker, a removable Bluetooth unit that also mounts to the dash).
It’s impossible not to draw a connection between the Hipster and Japan’s class of Kei vehicles. These small, similarly shaped hatchbacks have been in this game for decades, delivering lots of practicality in slim, tall packages in a way that maximizes efficiency and value. Dacia’s goal with the Hipster is to present a vehicle to the wide audience of buyers who can’t afford anything currently on the market. The company notes that “the average price of new vehicles in Europe rose by 77% between 2010 and 2024, far outpacing household purchasing power.”
Whether Dacia can push this ethos onto European roads is a matter of, well, regulations. From Autocar:
The concept is driveable and finished to a level that’s close to what could be expected of a near-production prototype, but Dacia bosses wouldn’t commit to a potential launch date, with the car’s viability ultimately contingent on a hospitable legislative environment.
[Chief designer David Durand] said: “I hope we will find a way through the regulation, through all the aspects. There is also an industrial risk: are we sure that there are enough customers to buy it, and is it still a field that is really our specialty?
“There are questions to solve, but this car is feasible. We are not far [away]: we have some regulation problems to solve and some answers to come from the regulators, but there is no big reason why it shouldn’t be feasible at the right price, the right weight, the right everything.”
If I had to choose between a car that’s simpler, lighter, and cheaper versus a car that’s more complex, heavier, and more expensive, I’d choose the first option every time. Not only would it save me money, but it’d also be less harsh on the environment and, theoretically, more fun to drive. At a time when people are paying more and more for everyday essentials, cars like this make a ton of sense for shoppers and automakers alike. Whether they can squeeze through regulations is the big question.
For the sake of affordability, I sure hope the Hipster becomes reality. Also, I’d just like to see it on the road because it looks cool. I can have two reasons for wanting something to exist.
Top graphic image: Dacia
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That’s hideous.
Jeep should/should have built that.
Saddens me to see such enthusiasm for vehicles like this. At this point, why not bring it to America? It’ll blend in PERFECTLY with the rest of the black, white, and shades of grey Needlessly Gigantic And Ridiculously Oversized bro dozers, SUVs and pickups barely anyone needs but are continually gaslight into believing they want these — let’s face it — boxes on wheels (or slightly rounded boxes on wheels).
Totally fine if folks really truly need or just like these ugly boxes on wheels — ICE or electric. I’m having a hard time understanding why this country continues to want to line the pockets of carmakers who continue to overcharge for these vehicles no one needs. Same as @CheapBastard points out. Definitely a need for gigantic vehicles. People have been fooled into thinking they, too, need a huge box on wheels that they can’t drive properly nor really need. “I like to ride high!” “I need space for my 1 child!” “I need to haul stuff!” Right. All can be done with a regular car. It was the standard for decades.
So, yeah. Like what you like. Love these things just ‘cuz you do? Great. Spend your money, doesn’t matter to me. I’m just extremely bored with being surrounded by huge boring vehicles that tend to be driven by incompetent people that don’t truly need them & continue to be bamboozled into thinking that’s what they’re owed as ‘Muricans.
This will never make it to North America… even if Nissan makes a version of it.
And even if it somehow does make it, I don’t see it selling. 2 door vehicles don’t sell well. And cheap 2 door cars sell even worse
Most new car buyers are too preoccupied with paying for overpriced vehicles with way more options than needed and a ‘luxury’ features. And in the USA and to a lesser degree in Canada, people use their vehicles as a (bogus) statement of ‘status’.
And a thing like this won’t have any ‘status’ or faux-prestige.
And I say faux-prestige because that’s how I see all these entry-level BMWs and Mercedes vehicles. They’re objectively not that great… but people lap the shit up for the ‘status’ of the brand name.
For the same or less money, a Prius would arguably be a better, higher-quality vehicle.
Pretty swank, I’ll take mine with two doors and a 6 foot or better yet 7 foot bed though.
They already have that..it’s called the TELO, and its from some guys in San Fran….but it is pre-order only.
Did they crib that grille logo from John DeLorean?
Or did he crib it from them?
I hate this thing, but I acknowledge it might work for markets other than the US. If people are only driving short distances at low speeds, that might make sense. An e-bike, public transportation, or an Uber might make even more sense, though.
As an American, I have less than zero interest in a vehicle like this. Its range will make it useless for out of town trips. I also presume it sucks to drive at 70 mph, if it reaches highway speeds at all. I am also skeptical of saving costs at the expense of safety – I’m not sure that is a great trade off. Again, if you need a glorified golf cart for your twice weekly trip to the grocery store, this might make sense. That describes very few people in the US.
Let’s not pretend there would be any demand for something like this in the US. If you are an American that wants a cheap EV, look for a used Bolt, Tesla, or almost any EV that is 3-5 years old. They will be priced similarly to this Dacia golf cart, but they will drive like a real car and still have a battery warranty.
Also, this is one of the ugliest vehicles I have ever seen. This is uglier than the Cybertruck.
And its called a damn Hipster? As if I didn’t already have enough reasons to hate it.
And they’ll meet safety regulations.
With the most emphasis I can add without profanity, what safety regulations is this disregarding? Pretty important detail. And I want every standard airbag other newer cars have (knees, sides, etc.).
Regulations aren’t red tape. They’re white tape that’s been stained with the blood of people who died before they were in place.
Not to say that’s applicable to all regulations, but it’s certainly the vast majority of them.
Side note, that one photo has an image of simultaneous taillights and one turn signal, and the turn signal replaces one of the taillights while in operation?
Why do automakers keep inventing new ways for taillights to be wrong??
Some of the regulations they’re referring to probably have little or nothing to do with safety, at least not directly. But yeah, what exactly is being cut in this experiment? What happens when this thing gets hit by a semi? What happens when it hits a pedestrian? Can it be repaired easily?
Not to mention, I assume, being an EV, that it already meets the vast majority of applicable efficiency requirements/regulations?
Yeah, without those details, this article is clickbait Lorem ipsum.
I can’t like this comment enough. ANY automaker can make a cheap, small car if “unburdened” by safety regulations. And I bet none of them would be this ugly.
So… which regulations is this vehicle not complying with? That seems like essential information.
Is it going to be like those cheapo airlines?
https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/eu-air-safety-list_en
And/or any of these ones?
I like the car, although I see more Slate than Kei in it.
But I think the article premise needed more time in the oven. So say “this is what regulations are taking from you” and then compare it multiple times to a class of cars that only exist because of some of the most substantial and long term regulations in the world (Kei class rules) is not awesome logic.
Could they make it better looking? That thing is so ugly that it makes a PT Cruiser look good.
Yuck!
America will be great again when the rest of the world is building and driving sensible cars like this that can’t be sold in the US. Then if you want a reasonably-sized vehicle you will be forced to drive a GM or Ford, built in America for and by Americans.
[This is sarcasm. I think]
“If I had to choose between a car that’s simpler, lighter, and cheaper versus a car that’s more complex, heavier, and more expensive, I’d choose the first option every time.”
“Brian Silvestro is The Autopian’s news editor. Best known for buying cheap, rusty project cars, he currently drives a 2003 Mazda MX-5 Miata, and, when it works, a 2008 Range Rover.”
Well, I don’t know about *every time*.
Cars like this are cool, but I see why they will never make it to the States. They’re great for navigating large European cities with their narrow roads and tight parking spaces. They don’t need as much range because people don’t drive as much there, on average. Safety is another big point, while every country has large heavy commercial trucks, Americans also have very large, heavy personal vehicles. From what I understand a lot of vehicles in cities such as Paris also see quite a lot of abuse. I can see why people would be happy to buy something cheap and spartan, because it’s just going to get beat up anyway.
Also, is this particular EV one designed to travel at highway speeds, or is it a lower speed vehicle intended primarily for cities? Low speed EVs are basically useless here, outside specific use cases such as college campuses and retirement communities.
Don’t get me wrong, I like this vehicle a lot! But it’s just not meant for the US.
>Also, is this particular EV one designed to travel at highway speeds, or is it a lower speed vehicle intended primarily for cities?
According to Reuters the top speed is around 90kph/56mph.
Quoting 24 miles a day and two recharges per week calculates to a range of about 100 miles.
This is unacceptable!!! My daily commute is 200 miles. Uphill in both ways. Towing a speedboat. In freezing temperatures. And I have nowhere to charge anyway.
This proves once and for all that EVs are useless for everyone.
You speak the truth!
Yes, you and the other 0.1% of the actual new car buying market that obsessively comments on the internet on this topic.
The Slate is coming, there’s the one and only chance for “durrr no screens in my car” folks to put up or shut up.
I don’t mean to be rude about this, but the constant whining for smaller, cheaper, less equipped, shitbox-style cars is just so far from what people actually vote with their dollars to buy that’s it’s frustrating to read it over and over.
I wish the market provided more V10 powered sport coupes that I could purchase. While I’m heartbroken that they don’t, I also don’t think it would be a productive use of a website’s editorial voice to write at least one article a week advocating for more of them to be sold.
Counterpoint: If sufficiently cheap enough with the basic essentials, people will buy it.
There’s a reason the Grand Caravan was a juggernaut and the Pacifica sells significantly less. It was cheap, seated 8, and had A/C.
The problem is when they claim “cheap” and it’s 30k. That’s not a cheap car. It doesn’t fit the brief.
I’ll buy a commuter EV when I can buy or lease one for less than I spend on fuel in my daily. Nothing has gotten there yet in my market (I’m in Canada).
I guess we’ll test the limits of this to an extent with the Slate.
I will say that there is an exception for large size plus small price, because families are often on a budget.
That’s not usually what’s being discussed here, where small, cheap and basic is the ask.
I mean this is pretty close to almost exactly what I want for my typical use cases. I Could sell my old 03 LX Civic, and store my 13 Si away for fun drives. I bought a 12 year old “economy” sedan because there are no current offerings that meet that need at a price point I’m comfortable paying.
My actual requirements for a new car:
4 doors.Cheap to drive and maintain (good or no gas mileage)Cheap to insureUnder $20,000I know this is a pipe dream, but that’s what I specifically want. I had to compromise on #2 by running premium in my Si, but at least it gets over 30 MPG. The Lx gets choked on the cheapest swill I can pump into it.
Well the comment system ate my formatting. :
1 4 doors
2 Cheap to drive and maintain (good or no gas mileage)
3 Cheap to insure
4 Under $20,000
And yet, this already doesn’t meet that since it’s a 2-door.
I know, I’m not crying, you’re crying!
Counterpoint: https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/golf-carts-have-taken-over-suburbia-cue-the-resistance-abaef307
People want “smaller, cheaper, less equipped, shitbox-style cars” so bad they are settling for golf carts.
Can’t read past the paywall but I’d strongly suspect these are in addition to “normal” cars, not replacing them.
Tomato, tomato. “Normal” cars have their uses, even gas guzzling pedestrian crushers. These cars won’t serve those uses. An F350 will still be needed by some for pulling stumps once a decade or whatever.
What they WILL replace is driving the F350 a mile to the hardware store for a single box of screws, to the store for a quart of milk, taking the dog to the vet, going to the office and 99.9% of the other things people do that don’t require a “normal” car.
Why would I want to pay an extra $20 something thousand dollars for something I can already handle in my F350 though?
That’s always what’s lost in these articles. The amount of people who could get by with one of these for some errands might be high, but they won’t be able to do everything. And if you own a bigger/more useful vehicle anyways, who wants to take up the time/space/expense of having another small vehicle around?
“Why would I want to pay an extra $20 something thousand dollars for something I can already handle in my F350 though?”
Because you’re not an asshole who drives a climate wrecking, pedestrian crushing F350 a mile to pick up a single box of screws.
#1, I don’t grant your premise that doing errands in a truck makes one an asshole, but even if I did:
#2, I certainly wouldn’t buy a whole separate vehicle just for the purposes of not appearing to be an asshole to internet strangers.
I wonder how many mile trips to pickup a box of screws in an F350 it would take to equal the environmental cost of producing a WHOLE other vehicle.
I couldn’t get past the paywall either but I am skeptical that golf carts have “taken over suburbia.” That claim doesn’t pass the smell test.
I live in a suburban area where golf carts can be driven on streets and it is safe and reasonably practical to do so. They aren’t common, though. I see them on a daily basis, but they represent a very small fraction of vehicles on the road. Their popularity does not appear to be increasing.
I am aware of a few communities where golf carts are somewhat popular (Peachtree City, GA and a few retirement communities here in Florida), but that hardly indicates a broad societal interest in cheap, minimalist transportation appliances.
Really curious to see what Ford’s new Universal EV platform will be like and if can really hit that sweet spot of affordability and features people actually use like infotainment. It’s mainly marketing hype now, but fingers crossed.
This is why I hope so desperately that Slate manages to get to market.
Part of me thinks that people will finally let this go when it flops, but the other, more rational part of me knows it will just morph into a variant of the “but real
communismstripper EV has never been tried!”So it’s a post-Soviet bloc(k)?
Back in my day, the Dacia Hipster would have been a Penny Farthing that was only ironically ridden to the local coffee shop where they would have ordered a water just to use the free wifi
I could see this being where Scion evolved to if the division wasn’t killed off.
It looks like my xB. I’m expecting some royalty payments.
https://www.theautopian.com/how-i-turned-an-abandoned-beater-into-a-championship-winning-race-car/
I love the idea of having a small cheap EV. I also think that “we skimped on safety to make it cheaper” is not a sales pitch that would work with the Americans buying 1 ton trucks for their 16 year old angels to be “safe” in. This also reminds me of a golf cart used in some well off retired people or beach peoples communities or the SXSs that rural people run errands with. I also do not want a cell phone as my gage cluster.
Americans drive trucks that weigh 1 ton? Interesting. What are they made of? Beryllium? Some kind of lithium alloy?
1 ton refers to the payload capacity, not the weight of the vehicle.
Forgot to add I was being sarcastic. Thanks for the reply. 😀
It has kind of become meaningless because my Silverado 1500 crew cab “half ton” can carry 2,070 pounds, and a “one ton” 3500 can carry 2+ to 3+ tons depending on DRW.
As an Old I was using a short hand phrase that I assumed people knew as short hand for the trucks that are heavy-duty pickup trucks with a high gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), typically in the “350” or “3500” class, that are the most capable non-commercial trucks and include models such as the Ford F-350 Super Duty, Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD, GMC Sierra 3500HD, and Ram 3500. I will type that next time.
I honestly just want a gauge cluster as my gauge cluster, and it pisses me off that literally every car today has to have a screen there, too.
“These stupid safety regulations are why cars are so expensive” is not the marketing move they think it is.