Toyota Tilting Three-Wheeler Enters the 'Real World'

March 24, 2014

Patrick Ponticel

"Real-world" evaluation of the i-Road begins today in Tokyo.

Confined to private road courses to date, Toyota's tilting three-wheeler takes to regular roads beginning today (March 24). Ten units of the single-seat i-Road are undergoing a roughly eight-week public trial in Tokyo for evaluation of the vehicle's suitability for city driving and of its impact on how users decide what journeys to make with it. A longer-term evaluation is slated to being in the city of Grenoble, France, sometime this year. The i-Road has two wheels in front and one in the back. Propulsion is via two electric motors powered by a lithium-ion battery that on a single charge gives it a range of 30 mi (48 km) at a steady 19 mph (30 km/h). Maximum speed is 37 mph (60 km/h). Minimum turning radius is 3.0 m (9.8 ft) and wheelbase is 1695 mm (66.7 in). Curb weight is 300 kg (661 lb).