One of Toyota’s new concepts is the i-Road, a combination of a car and a motorcycle. It has an enclosed cockpit, three wheels, an electric motor and truly extraterrestrial looks. It seats two people, has a 30 mile range and, all in all, looks to make quick personal transportation more efficient, clean and fun. At this point, Toyota is not sure if it will ever sell these to the mass market, but it would be a practical addition to its line of cars.
The i-Road it takes the best parts of a car and motorcycle and combines them into one package, including the odd number of wheels. Inn most of today’s urban and suburban areas, efficient public transit can take you to central locations, but how you get to your final destination from there is often a question mark. The i-Road could be a way of closing this gap in efficient and sustainable transportation.
On to the extraterrestrial-looking features. It has a single front headlight, transparent side panels and cog-like wheels. On the inside, it is bare, lacking enough comfort at this point for people to really go for it. There is very little leg room, but enough head and shoulder room; there are around five buttons that control the vehicle’s functions and a digital dash display. There is hope of a reasonable sound system.
The driveability provides a unique feeling and it allows for precise handling like that of a motorcycle, although the steering wheel will vibrate when the driver turns too sharply. Luckily, it has an onboard gyroscope helps to keep it from ever tipping over. It only goes 28 mph and it doesn’t have a lot of power, but that’s the point; it is designed to be efficient.
Even though it looks a little silly, the i-Road has the potential to turn into a mass-market vehicle. It is a great solution to the problem of growing, centralized populations that require efficient and, importantly, small types of transportation.
