Just imagine: it’s Monday morning. You leave your apartment on the outskirts of Grenoble, in the French Alps, at 7:25 to go to work. Half asleep, you take the tram to the city centre―a 20-minute ride. You get off, and wait for the connecting bus for five minutes. Ten minutes later, the bus drops you off five minutes from your office. It’s 08:05. You’re late, again, for the 8:00 meeting and haven’t even had time for coffee. Sometimes, for more flexibility, you take your car. You drive to the city but this means you must leave even earlier, at 7:15 – and that’s not a guarantee you’ll arrive on time, with traffic and the time it takes to find a parking spot. Sound familiar?
With Citélib by Ha:mo, say goodbye to stress and delays. During your tram ride, you whip out your smartphone. With an app, you can visualise the available Toyota i-ROADs at your usual stop. In a few clicks, you reserve and pay. Another app can also allow you to see the status of traffic and public transport before you leave, so you can plan the best route that day.
Once you get off the tram, all you have to do is flash your phone onto the charging station to release your i-ROAD. In six minutes, you ride to the charging station near your office, two minutes away. It’s 7:53 – plenty of time for a coffee before the 8:00 meeting. You’ve just saved 30% of your commute time. Going somewhere else that morning? No problem. There are around 30 stations in Grenoble, a network tight enough to get you as close as possible to your destination.
Urban transport of the future will become a reality in October in the French city of Grenoble thanks to a partnership between the City of Grenoble, Grenoble-Alpes Métropole, EDF Group, Citélib and Toyota of course.
70 Toyota “i-ROAD” and “COMS” ultra-compact electric vehicles will be available in a car-sharing scheme, promoting interconnectivity between public and private electrified personal transport. Vehicles can be charged at around 30 charging stations managed by Sodetrel (EDF Group) and located close to public transport stops. Called “Citélib by Ha:Mo”, this innovative service is ready for pre-registration by Grenoble commuters on www.citelib.com and will be operational for a three-year real-life test.
Connected to the public transport system’s IT infrastructure, this new car-sharing scheme will complement Citélib, the current car-sharing service of Grenoble, by allowing users to pick up one of the small EVs at one location and drop it off at another. The project also aims to promote interconnectivity of public transport methods (trams, buses, trains) and a new type of personal mobility using small vehicles that don’t take up as much space as a normal car. The main idea is to allow commuters to drive the first or last kilometres of their journey for increased flexibility and time-saving, thus contributing to reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality in city centres.
- The Toyota i-ROAD (two-seater, 3-wheel with Active Lean technology) introduces a completely new and fun way to drive. Very compact, it combines the exceptional handling of a motorcycle or a scooter with the comfort and stability of a car. Four i-ROADs occupy the footprint of a single car.
Toyota i-Road technical specifications (Tokyo and Toyota City test model)
| Overall length (mm) | 2,345 |
| Overall width (mm) | 870 |
| Overall height (mm) | 1,455 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1,695 |
| Kerb weight (kg) | 300 |
| Tyre size – front | 80/90R16 |
| Tyre size – rear | 120/90R10 |
| Min. turning radius (m) | 3.0 |
| Powertrain | 2 electric motors |
| Max. speed (km/h) | 56 |
| Cruising range on single charge (km) | 50 (at steady 30 km/h) |
| Battery type | Lithium-ion |
Check out these YouTube video links:
- A look at Ha:mo, Toyota’s optimised urban transport system. Ha:mo has been trialed near Toyota’s headquarters in Japan, and will soon be expanded to Grenoble, France.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VwuWWK2dZo
- Toyota’s i-ROAD compact electric personal mobility vehicle takes to the streets in Japan’s capital. Participants in the limited public trials share their feedback on the ultra-compact, fun to drive i-ROAD, which is available in five vibrant colors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1Qw4Hj805U
