Photo: autoevolution
Grenoble, France, will be the first city in Europe to adopt Toyota’s i-Road leaning microcar as part of a car-sharing program similar to the original one in Japan. However, if you don’t live in Grenoble, the i-Road can be seen in flesh and bone at the Paris Motor Show 2014.
Can’t reach that event neither? Well, here’s a batch of live photos as the Toyota i-Road was revealed on the stage, wearing an eye-busting shade of electric pink.
For those who are seeing this for their first time, we’ll tell you the i-Road is Toyota’s solution to green urban transportation. It is a leaning three-wheeler powered by an electric motor, being able to reach up to 45 km/h (30 mph) and go for around 50 km (31 miles) on a full charge.
At low speeds, the i-Road is steered by the rear pivoting wheel in a bizarre crab-like way. However, at greater speeds, the wheels at the front can individually shift up or down to tilt the vehicle and steer like a motorcycle. Which should feel pretty bizarre regarding the fact that you sit in a normal car-seat and hold on to a steering wheel rather than handlebars and a gas tank between your knees.
The main purpose of the i-Road is to be part of a larger EV fleet for people to rent and drive around the city. The system will be backed up by a smartphone app where you can subscribe to the service, see charging locations, pay for renting the EV and get route suggestions according to traffic conditions.
For those who are seeing this for their first time, we’ll tell you the i-Road is Toyota’s solution to green urban transportation. It is a leaning three-wheeler powered by an electric motor, being able to reach up to 45 km/h (30 mph) and go for around 50 km (31 miles) on a full charge.
At low speeds, the i-Road is steered by the rear pivoting wheel in a bizarre crab-like way. However, at greater speeds, the wheels at the front can individually shift up or down to tilt the vehicle and steer like a motorcycle. Which should feel pretty bizarre regarding the fact that you sit in a normal car-seat and hold on to a steering wheel rather than handlebars and a gas tank between your knees.
The main purpose of the i-Road is to be part of a larger EV fleet for people to rent and drive around the city. The system will be backed up by a smartphone app where you can subscribe to the service, see charging locations, pay for renting the EV and get route suggestions according to traffic conditions.
Google News