374 pcs. Ikea offers to assemble an electric car at home for 5,300 euros – Observer

Nobody expected this. Accustomed to dealing with cheap and practical Ikea furniture, which is assembled at home with a hex key and other things, imagine the surprise when a Scandinavian furniture company showed that its new product for home assembly is… an electric car! The car in question seems minimalistic, practical and simple, as usual at Ikea, it was developed by Renault, which used the experience gained with the Zoe and Twingo.

Called Ikea Höga, it is still a prototype, but with too many details to stop there. With seating for two, it is only 1.8 meters high and 2.3 meters long, significantly taller and shorter than its natural rival Citroën Ami (1.39 m and 2.41 m), which also stands to the side. from the length of Smart Fortwo (2.69 m). …

But just like tables, beds and shelves that improve the use of small space, the Ikea prototype also has some tweaks up its sleeve to momentarily replace the passenger seat with wheelchair space, ideal for people with disabilities. … Surfers and cyclists have not been forgotten as there will also be a solution to adapt your tools for work or play, depending on the circumstances.

Renault has tried to create a simple yet efficient vehicle. However, assembling it will take a little more effort and manual “fall” than assembling a crib. 374 parts that need to be repaired before Höga can be used as a vehicle, a platform for installation must first be created package batteries, wheels and associated suspensions, although the latter are not visible in the published drawings.

The Ikea Höga will be offered for 5,300 euros and will be delivered in a kit that requires some dedication to build at home.

The platform, the most rigid part of Höga, will serve to secure the structure and then the rest of the body, but a way will need to be found to ensure a good build of the car, because if it is dangerous for the table to suddenly lose one leg, it is much more delicate for the vehicle to lose wheel only because the propeller was missing, or without brakes, simply because someone did not follow the order indicated in the instruction manual …

Despite its small size and short axle spacing, Ikea and Renault intend to equip Höga with an all-electric four-wheel steering system. Also curious is the way to access the interior: the front and rear windows transform into doors that open vertically, with features that front ones include a steering wheel, pedals and a large center screen (the only one). .).

Ikea plans to sell the Höga for 5,300 euros, significantly less than the 6,900 euros ordered by the Citroën Ami, which, however, already comes fully assembled. Ikea and Renault have not announced the rest of the Höga’s specs, both in terms of engine power and battery capacity.