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NEWS
GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Toyota premieres i-Road concept
Lean machine carries two people, emission-free, in car-like comfort up to 50km on a single chargeToyota wheeled out its version of the extreme city car at the Geneva motor show overnight. The company's vision takes the form of the three-wheel, two-seat, all-electric i-Road.
Using two electric motors fed by a lithium-ion battery that can be fully charged via a regular household power outlet in three hours, the i-Road has a city-friendly claimed range of 50km.
Each of the front wheels has a 2kW electric motor providing what Toyota describes as “brisk” acceleration and near-silent running, with a maximum speed of 45km/h.
The company says the i-Road aims to do what a regular motor cycle or scooter does, but with greater safety and comfort. The almost full-enclosure of the interior – apart from the exposed lower door sections – means things such as cabin heating, audio system, lighting and Bluetooth are on the cards. The exposed lower doors probably rule out air-conditioning – although Toyota’s press release describes the closed cabin as being “weatherproof”.
Key to the i-Road’s safety is its self-contained nature: The full roof enclosure means there is no requirement that driver or passenger wear a safety helmet, and the three-wheel configuration means the driver’s foot does not need to be in contact the ground when the vehicle is stationary.
Dynamically, the i-Road adopts “Active Lean” technology that heels it over at an appropriate angle when negotiating turns. The lean is activated via a gyro sensor that instructs “lean actuators” to raise and lower the oversize front wheels (the tyres measure 80/80R16 at the front – the single rear wheel wears a 130/70R10 tyre) in opposite directions according to the speed and angle of the turn.
i-Road is also designed to add smooth to the rough by maintaining a flat fore-aft stance when negotiating stepped surfaces in a straight line.
The i-Road is claimed to be no wider than a regular motorcycle and measures 2,350mm long, and 1,445mm high with a wheelbase of 1,700mm. The minimum turning circle is quoted at six metres and Toyota says four i-Roads can fit in a regular parking space.
The i-Road is piloted via a more or less conventional steering wheel facing a hooded binnacle with a digital instrument display and a windscreen with a single wiper. The rear passenger sits directly behind the driver.
According to Toyota, the i-Road reflects the desire of urban motorists for “something that is more comfortable, offers better weather protection and is safer than a two-wheeler such as a scooter or motorcycle, but has similar benefits of low running costs, easy parking and around-town manoeuvrability.”
So far, though, i-Road is a mere “concept.”
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