To solve the problem of long-term parking shortages in cities, an Israeli start-up has developed a foldable electric car. The City Transformer has a substructure that can be retracted and extended by pressing a button. When folded, the vehicle is only one meter wide and fits easily into a motorcycle parking lot.
Up to 90 km / h
Extended it has a width of 1.4 meters and thus the same proportions as a normal car. The City Transformer drives according to the manufacturer with a speed of up to 90 kilometers per hour.
The battery of the electric car can be recharged at home or at public charging stations. Currently, it can reach a range of 150 kilometers with one battery charge. „But we expect that there will be better and more efficient batteries to mass production,“ says Udi Meridor, head of innovation at City Transformer. Among others, the Japanese company Yamaha was involved in the development.
Planned start 2020
The final prototype of the car should be launched according to the manufacturer in the next ten months. Then the official pre-order campaign will start. After 10,000 pre-orders, the car should roll off the line, say in 2020, for the equivalent of about 8,785 euros, according to the Israeli company.
The car is then intended for private use and for car sharing – first in Tel Aviv, then in European and Asian cities. A version of the micro car is designed specifically for companies. It can transport goods up to 1,000 kilograms.
