Toyota iRoad

i-Road

Toyota i-Road
Overview
Manufacturer	Toyota
Production	2013
Dimensions
Wheelbase	1,700 mm (66.9 in)
Length	2,350 mm (92.5 in)
Width	850 mm (33.5 in)
Height	1,445 mm (56.9 in)

The Toyota i-Road is a concept car by first shown at the March 2013 Geneva Motor Show. It has an electric drive-train and its two 2-kilowatt (2.7-horsepower) motors are powered by a lithium-ion battery that can be charged using a household outlet. One charge has a range of 50 km (31 mi) and a top speed is 45 km/h (28 mph). It is designed for city use. It has no emissions at point of use.

Car and Driver describes the Toyota i-Road as "something of a cross between a car, a motorcycle, and a fancy golf cart". It is similar to the concept of a motorcycle but has three wheels. Toyota has developed what it calls "Active Lean", a new technology that counterbalances the centrifugal force when the vehicle goes around a corner and smooths the ride over rough ground. "Active Lean" operates using an on-board computers on each side of the front suspension to calculate the degree of lean needed based on input from the steering mechanism, the gyroscope angle and speed. To compensate for road conditions, a front wheel is adjusted up or down as needed to stabilise the vehicle.According to Wired, this technology "allows you to bomb through the bends without tipping over."

Toyota refers to it as a "personal mobility vehicle". It is less than three feet wide and seats two people in an enclosed cabin that protects the occupants from the environment. Its turning radius is under three feet. The width is 850 mm (33.5 in), approximately the same width as motorcycle, and four of these vehicles can be parked in a single parking space.

Currently, the Toyota i-Road is a concept car envisioned for urban use in the future, and there are no plans for general production at this time, although it was announced in March 2013 that 70 i-Roads would be deployed in Grenoble as part of a last-mile mobility project. The project will be managed within an existing car club.^[61] The i-Road will also be part of Toyota's similar ha:mo project in Toyota City, Japan.