Toyota reveals i-Road 3-wheeled EV ahead of Geneva Motor Show

March 4, 2013: Toyota has unveiled a new three-wheeled electric vehicle ahead of the Geneva Motor Show. Called i-Road, it is designed as a Personal Mobility Vehicle (PMV) for two-person urban transport and has a range of 50 kilometres.

The i-Road is just 850mm wide, no bigger than a conventional two-wheeler, and is designed for easy maneuverability on city streets. It seats two people in tandem under a weatherproof cover and body. It can be driven without a crash helmet, and Toyota says the cabin has a ‘car-like environment’ with the potential for features such as lighting, heating, audio and Bluetooth.

The i-Road is 2350mm long, 1445mm high and has a 1700mm wheelbase. The narrow width means that up to four i-Roads could be parked in a single car parking bay.

The zero-emissions, all-electric powertrain uses a lithium-ion battery to power two 2kW motors mounted in the front wheels. The driving range is around 50km, after which the battery can be fully recharged from a conventional domestic power supply in three hours. The i-Road uses a lean actuator and gearing mounted above the front suspension member, linked via a yoke to the left and right front tyres, to balance the vehicle during cornering.

Toyota refers to the system as ‘Active Lean’ technology. An ECU calculates the required degree of lean based on steering angle, vehicle speed and information provided by a gyro-sensor.

The system automatically moves the tyres up and down in opposite directions, applying lean angle to counteract the centrifugal force of cornering. The system also operates when the Personal Mobility Vehicle is being driven in a straight line over stepped surfaces, the actuator automatically compensating for changes in the road to keep the body level. The minimum turning circle is just three metres.

There is no word from Toyota as yet as to when the i-Road is likely to reach production or how much it could cost.

MATT BURT/AUTOCAR UK