Being located at the feet of the French Alps, the city of Grenoble has always had a problem with space. Normal cars have always had trouble negotiating the narrow streets of this popular tourist destination who's history dates back to the time of Christ when it was a Gallic village.
That's not the point here though, as we're going to talk about a special car sharing program started with the help of the weirdest vehicle currently made by Toyota, the i-Road 3-wheeler.
The energy company EDF and its subsidiary Sodetrel have purchased a fleet of 70 electric vehicles which can be rented out and used in conjunction with the urban transportation system. One of the major advantages is that the the vehicles must not be returned to the starting point of the trip and they can be accessed via a smartphone app.
But the i-Road itself poses the greatest advantage because it's a lot more nimble than even the smallest car. It leans into corners like one of those special scooters, but it also has a roof, so you don't need to worry about snow and rain.
Power is strictly limited, as the 2.3m long (92.5 inches) i-Road packs about 5.2 PS (3.8 kW) from two electric motors. A lithium-ion battery pack provides enough juice for a trip of 50 kilometers (31 miles).
The size is similar to that of a motorcycle, great for negotiating tight corners. The front wheels can also rise to compensate an uneven slope and give it better traction. The i-Road automatically leans into the corners, adjusting its angle according to the steering wheel input and speed. The directional changes are actually done using the rear, which some drivers might find weird.
The only bad news here is that unlike the Renault Twizy, you can't actually buy an i-Road to own. Bummer!
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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