Small. Smart. Simple. New electric car transformer from Israel
The website of the Israeli company City Transformer states: ‘We are building the mobile platform of the future. And we are ready to share with you a new revolutionary electric car, designed for those who just want to get from point A to point B’. And this is true, the shape-adjustable City Transformer can help the world solve the problem of traffic congestion, make parking easier, save our time, money, and most importantly, nerves.
Idea
Thanks to an innovative folding mechanism, the ‘transformer’s’ platform has the ability to adjust the width to the size of an ordinary car (in driving mode) or to the size of a motorcycle (in parking mode), which allows the driver to park the City Transformer almost anywhere. Combining the best features of both vehicle types, this new personal vehicle promises the safety and sensation of driving of a conventional car and the convenience of motorcycle parking. The battery-powered two-seater City Transformer is ultra-lightweight and ideal for any city.
Thanks to the sliding mechanism, such cars will save up to 75% of the space occupied: with a length of 2.49 meters and a width of 1.4 meters when folded, the width of the ‘transformer’ will not exceed one meter. On the road, a folding car takes up as much space as other four-wheeled road users, but in lanes and in emergency parking bays, its width can be reduced to the dimensions of a motorcycle. The car cab itself does not fold, and the driver can continue to move at low speed. According to the developers, a miniature electric car will be able to drive about 180 km on a single charge. And apart from small size, its advantages include a small cost. In Israel, the CT1 will be sold at a price of 45,000 shekels, excluding taxes.
Origins
It all started in 2014, when Asaf Formoza, Ph.D. in Engineering, began developing a car that would combine maneuverability and the ability to easily find parking on the streets of a big car-clogged city. According to a report by the International Monetary Fund, Israel’s car traffic is ranked as the worst in the Western world, and public transport infrastructure is twenty years behind the level of economically developed countries. In addition to the endless traffic jams, the problem of Tel Aviv, the major financial and business center of Israel, is a catastrophic lack of parking spaces. The government tries to solve these problems not only by introducing additional taxes and stimulating car-sharing programs (Gett, AutoTel), but also by creating roads that charge electric cars on the go. The automotive startup City Transformer has come up with another innovative solution, an electric car with a folding chassis that will reduce the parking space of a vehicle to one meter. The inventors promise that driving and parking in the city will become much easier when four folding cars can fit in one standard parking space.
In 2017, the company introduced the first prototype, which was then finalized for another three years. The public premiere of the unique novelty took place in 2018 at the Tel Aviv Innovation Week, where the car ‘arrived’ directly in the passenger elevator. ‘We went up to the second floor in a standard elevator no more than 1.2 meters wide without leaving our electric vehicle’, said City Transformer CEO, Asaf Formosa. And finally, in September 2021, the first production model, the CT1, will be officially presented to the world at the IAA Mobility car show in Munich (Germany). In Israel, pre-orders for the first two thousand cars have begun. The first CT1 convertible electric car combines Israeli innovations and German quality, because the company’s research and development center is located in Israel, and production is carried out in Germany. The new electric car must receive a license in Germany by the end of this year, after which it will be produced there. In Israel, the car is expected by 2024.
City Transformer 1
The 2021 CT1 is 2.49 meters long, 1.4 meters wide (in the open position when driving fast) and 1 meter in tight spaces and when parking. The maximum speed in the ‘unfolded’ position is 90 km/h, whereas the ‘folded’ car accelerates up to 45 km/h. The mini-electric car is equipped with an 18 hp electric motor and a 16 kWh battery. The driving range reaches180 km (without using the air conditioner) or 120 km with the air conditioner running. It takes 5 hours to fully charge the battery using a home charger. At the same time, it takes 30 minutes to charge 80% of the battery using a fast charger.
The ‘transformer’ mode works in the following manner: if you want to ‘unfold’ the car, just press a button and the side parts of the platform extend by 20 cm on each side, the width increases to 1.4 meters, the car becomes wider and more stable. When folded, the side parts are retracted, the width of the car is only 1 meter. The transformation mechanism is patented. The CT1's doors open upwards, which also makes it easier to park in tight spaces.
The 2021 CT1 is 2.49 meters long, 1.4 meters wide (in the open position when driving fast) and 1 meter in tight spaces and when parking. The maximum speed in the ‘unfolded’ position is 90 km/h, whereas the ‘folded’ car accelerates up to 45 km/h
The ‘transformer’s’ passenger compartment can accommodate a driver, one adult or two children (but better one child). You can also transport some cargo, as the amount of free space is 1,000 liters. Moreover, the manufacturer offers a variety of passenger compartments “for all occasions”. In addition, the electric car is equipped with an advanced Head Up Display with the possibility of connection and cloud-based fleet management (using Altair Carriots software). It offers an intuitive digital interface, complemented by an ultra-comfortable ergonomic design. And for dessert, the new City Transformer 1 is designed with autonomy in mind and will have autonomous driving capabilities.
In terms of safety, the manufacturer claims that thanks to the Altair Simulations software, an energy-absorbing foldable chassis and advanced driver assistance systems, the new City Transformer 1 will meet the highest safety standards.
Alternative
In fact, the same small city cars have existed in the world for a long time. One of them, though not a transformer, is the same as the City Transformer, a tiny two-seater electric city Renault Twizy, produced by Renault since 2011. In Europe, they are classified as a heavy or light ATV (depending on the model). The new Renault Twizy was the best-selling electric car in Europe during 2012. The French mini-electric car coped with frontal, side and pillar collision tests. Plus, it looks extraordinary with its pretty front face, wheels in the corners, scissor doors and a tandem scooter landing. The compact Twizy is 2,337 mm long, 1,191 mm wide and 1,461 mm high, with a wheelbase of 1,684 mm. The ground clearance of the ‘Frenchman’ is 120 mm, and the turning radius does not exceed 3.4 meters. Its kerb weight is only 450 kg (excluding batteries).
The 2021 Renault Twizy offers two types of powertrains. The first is a 17-horsepower electric motor that generates 57 Nm and provides a top speed of 80 km/h. The second version Twizy 45 is equipped with an electric motor with a return of about 5 hp and 33 Nm. Its maximum speed is 45 km/h. Under the front seat, there is a block of lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 7 kWh, providing a driving range of 100-120 km (50-80 km in real conditions). It takes about 3.5 hours to completely ‘saturate’ traction batteries from a regular household outlet. The electric car is equipped with a fully independent MacPherson strut suspension at the front and at the rear, as well as four-wheel disc brakes. Power steering is missing.
