Adorable EV alert! With its unique three wheel design and compact footprint, Toyota’s i-ROAD electric vehicle represents the future of personal transport. And now drivers in Grenoble, France will have a chance to drive one this fall when Toyota plans to test its real world capability as part of a new car sharing program called “Smart City.”
In October, Toyota is going to add 70 Toyota i-ROAD and COMS ultra-compact electric vehicles to the Smart City car-sharing scheme that is designed to promote interconnectivity between public and private electrified personal transport. Smart City is the result of a partnership between the City of Grenoble, Grenoble-Alpes Métropole, EDF Group, Toyota and Citélib.
Smart City will join the current car-sharing service of Grenoble by allowing drivers to pick up one of the small Toyota EVs at one location and drop it off at another. The project aims to promote interconnectivity of public transport methods and a new type of personal mobility using small vehicles that don’t take up as much space as a normal car. The main idea is to allow commuters to drive the first or last few miles of their journey for increased flexibility and time-saving, thus contributing to reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality in city centers.
The Toyota i-ROAD and COMS electric vehicles will be available for three years in the car sharing program. Toyota is also currently testing the i-ROAD with commuters in Japan, but it has yet to announce any similar programs in the U.S.
Source: http://inhabitat.com/three-wheeled-toyota-i-road-electric-vehicle-becomes-part-of-the-smart-city-car-sharing-program-in-france/
Comments are closed.
