At the 2013 Geneva
International Motor Show, Toyota
unveiled the 2.3 metre-long i-ROAD
personal mobility vehicle (PMV). It’s not a car, nor a scooter, but something
in between. And it’s also powered by an electric
motor, instead of a petrol engine.
The i-ROAD was there to demonstrate a new concept in personal mobility, as it
sits two people in tandem, both covered, unlike on a motor bike. The lithium-ion
battery powers two 2kW motors in the
front wheels and has a range of 50km,
meaning a trip between Pretoria and Johannesburg is possible without having
to recharge, but you could not get
from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. Recharging takes three hours to complete from a
home wall socket.
The system also operates when the PMV is being driven in a straight line over stepped surfaces, the actuator automatically compensating for changes in the road to keep the body level. The minimum turning circle is just three metres.
No comments:
Post a Comment