We are running out of space on earth. The roads are becoming more and more congested and engineers are busy trying to come up with new methods to tackle this congestion. We are also suffering at the hands of carbon emissions due to combustion fuel vehicles and there is a dire need to shift to electric vehicles. However, the Urban Transportation is too big of a challenge and that is why it requires a lot of commitment if you are willing to redesign it. Who is up to the task? Well, Toyota has come up with a green technology to tackle this situation.
On 2nd March, at Ecoful Town, Toyota City, we witnessed Japanese drivers trying out the new i-ROAD on public roads and experiencing what the future of transportation will look like. This event was a part of the future that Toyota has envisioned for urban transportation. i-ROAD will also be making appearance at Grenoble, France later in 2014. This demonstration will also be aimed at bringing this idea to public knowledge and let them get a feel of the future.
This whole endeavor is basically a joint venture of Toyota Motor Corporation, city of Grenoble and Électricité de France (EDF) and others. We will be witnessing around 70 electric vehicles including the i-ROAD that shall be participating in this event and will be contributing towards a car-sharing project. i-ROAD is expected to be available both in Japan and Europe upon its debut (commercially) and it is being considered as a solution which is viable both in terms of environment and mobility.
Speaking of i-ROAD, it is a three-wheeled EV, which is capable of moving quite easily in narrow spaces while helping to reduce the congestion in traffic. Parking spaces required for i-ROAD shall be minimal and that will keep parking fees low as well. Since it is electric, emissions will be non-existent, thus providing us with a cleaner environment. The traffic footprint will reduce dramatically while allowing for easier navigation and hence, traffic jams won’t be a problem anymore.
The whole project is essentially a combination of public transportation and EVs to allow you to move from one place to another. I-Road is definitely a step in the right direction for optimized future urban transportation.
P.S This is a sponsored advertorial written by us on behalf of Toyota. The opinions and text belong to Wonderful Engineering.