While flying cars might be a while off yet, Toyota has taken a leap into the future with i-Road – the latest eco-friendly vehicle to hit the streets.
The idea is simple: hire an i-Road, drive it where you like, then return it to your closest docking station, ready for the next person (think Barclays Bikes in London). The unique concept is on a fast track to change the way we think about urban mobility, giving commuters a viable alternative to driving their cars to work and lowering congestion in the process.
NEXT-GENERATION URBAN TRAFFIC SYSTEM
Connecting cars and other transport
Reach your destination quickly without extending the use of your vehicle. Leave your car at the nearest station and commute in a smart and environment friendly way using trains, small vehicles like EVs, and electric assist bicycles with sharing services.
Toyota’s advanced next-generation traffic system reduce traffic congestion and carbon dioxide emissions. By combining cars with public transit and last-mile-mobility systems, the next generation urban traffic system also helps to enable a stress-free commute.
LOW-CARBON AND ENJOYABLE TRANSPORTATION
Multi-modal Navigation System
From the start, the i-ROAD was developed for last-mile mobility in the next-generation urban traffic system’s multi-modal navigation system. Analyzing traffic conditions, this system couples i-ROAD use with public transit and lastmile mobility to deliver the most efficient route to users via smartphone. The aim is to help reduce traffic and greenhouse gas emissions, making your city a cleaner and better place to live.
From the train station to the store or from work to the doctor’s office, the i-ROAD makes short trips easy. Available as part of a vehicle sharing service that includes electric-assist bicycles, and COMS compact electric vehicles, users can cruise through town and drop the i-ROAD at the sharing station nearest a destination. Toyota is pioneering transportation that is unprecedentedly smooth and environmental.
PERSONAL MOBILITY: TOYOTA I-ROAD
The i-ROAD is a new, ultra-compact electric vehicle with three wheels. This new vehicle from Toyota employs the latest technology to offer exhilarating and compact mobility for short-distance city driving. The i-ROAD is, like a conventional vehicle, ideal for personal mobility and equally suitable for sharing in as part of a last-mile-mobility service.
A mere 870mm across, the i-ROAD is ultra compact. With the i-ROAD there is no need to hog the road. Indeed, it is possible to drive and park using a meager quarter or half of the space required by conventional vehicles. The feel of the interior reflects amazing attention to detail. This quiet and comfortable space removed from the urban din and protected from the elements is the perfect place to enjoy music or a conversation.
With a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and highly efficient electric powertrain, the i-ROAD can travel up to 50 kilometers* on one charge when driving at city speeds. The i-ROAD can be charged at night or using solar power, which reduces the energy load on communities. *The 50-km range is based on an estimated speed of 30 km/h per charge and expected to be achieved in 2016; in 2014 the figure was 42 kilometers.
Toyota envisions a “smart mobility society” that contributes to a low carbon society and is working to achieve this goal in four key sectors. Toyota links people, vehicles and communities through new technology and new concepts to create a motorized society that is vastly more eco-friendly and enjoyable. Toyota is progressively making these dreams come true.
For further information on The Toyota I – Road click here. This post is bought to you in partnership with Toyota.
