microcarfan
  • Electric microcar
  • Japan
  • Three wheels
  • It leans
  • Never sold

Toyota i-Road

Also known as i-ROAD

An electric three-wheeler 850 mm (33 in) wide, as narrow as a motorcycle, with a roof, doors and two seats in tandem. It banks into bends by itself and steers with its back wheel, like a forklift truck. Toyota tried it on the public in Tokyo, Toyota City and Grenoble, and never sold one.

Green and black narrow three-wheeler with a driver aboard, crossing a paved square by a lawn.
A green Toyota i-Road being driven in Grenoble, France, in September 2014.Photo: Maskrosen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

The spec plate

Toyota i-Road

Personal Mobility Vehicle · Geneva 2013

Built
2013–⁠2015Concept and trial cars only, from March 2013; a two-seat test car from November 2015, and trials until 2020; never sold
Country
Japan
Maker
Toyota Motor Corporation
Engine
Two electric in-wheel motorsIn the front wheels; a lithium-ion battery; capacity not found
Power
2 × 2 kW2.7 PS each
Length
2,350 mm850 mm wide, 1,445 mm high
Weight
300 kgBy Japanese Wikipedia
Seats
1 + 1In tandem; the first Japanese test cars had one seat
Wheels
3Two driven at the front, which lean; one at the back, which steers
Production
Trial fleets35 in Grenoble and 10 in Tokyo’s Open Road Project; no total found
Top speed
45km/h45 km/h60 km/h for the Japanese test car

How big is it?

True proportion

2.35 m

It is 620 mm shorter than a Fiat 500, about 1.3 adults laid end to end.

  • 0.85 m wide
  • 300 kg: about four adults
  • Two seats, one behind the other
  • Four fit in one car parking bay, by Toyota’s account
Drawn at true proportion. The track is 3.6 metres long; the adult stands at the same scale. The Peel P50 is the smallest production car, on every page for comparison.

The story

History

Toyota showed the i-ROAD, as it styles the name, at the Geneva Motor Show on 4 March 2013, and called it a Personal Mobility Vehicle.12 Japanese Wikipedia places it in a line of Toyota personal-mobility concepts, the PM, i-unit, i-swing and i-REAL, and English Wikipedia names the Insect, shown at CEATEC in 2011, as its basis.23 It is a small electric microcar with a pair of wheels ahead of a single one, and a fully enclosed cabin with doors, so that no helmet is needed.123 At 850 mm wide it is the width of a motorcycle, and Toyota said that four would fit in one car parking bay.13

Active Lean

The i-Road leans into bends without the driver having to balance it. Toyota’s release described the mechanism.1

The system features a lean actuator motor and gearing mounted above the front suspension member, linked via a yoke to the right and left front wheels.

Toyota Motor Europe, release for the Geneva Motor Show, 4 March 2013.1

The actuator moves the two front wheels up and down in opposite directions, banking them and the cabin into the corner by an amount worked out from the steering angle, a gyro sensor and the speed.13 The front wheels carry the motors, one of 2 kW (2.7 PS) in each, and the single rear wheel does the steering, as on a forklift, for a turning circle of 3.0 m (9 ft 10 in) by Toyota’s figure.143 The lithium-ion battery, whose capacity has not been found, gave 50 km (31 miles) at a steady 30 km/h (19 mph) and charged from a household socket in about three hours.142 Japanese Wikipedia gives a weight of about 300 kg (661 lb), and repeats Toyota’s claim that its windscreen glass was the thinnest automotive glass in the world.2

The passenger sits behind the driver with legs either side of the driver’s seat, and German Wikipedia notes there is little room between the passenger’s back and the rear wall.4 Two magazines tried to say what it was.

something of a cross between a car, a motorcycle, and a fancy golf cart

Car and Driver, 2013, as quoted by English Wikipedia.3

allows you to bomb through the bends without tipping over

Wired on the Active Lean system, 2013, as quoted by English Wikipedia.3

On trial

The day after Geneva, on 5 March 2013, Toyota, the city of Grenoble and their partners announced a car-sharing scheme for the “last mile”, linked to public transport, with about 70 ultra-compact electric cars, i-Roads and the Toyota COMS.23 In Japan the i-Road joined Toyota’s Ha:mo trials of “harmonious mobility” in Toyota City.42 A road-test version, a single-seater limited to 60 km/h (37 mph), was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in November 2013, and the i-Road won a Gold Award in Japan’s Good Design Awards that year.2

Grenoble’s scheme, Cité lib, opened on 1 October 2014 for three years. German Wikipedia counts 35 i-Roads in it, and says that every user first had to take a 45-minute course, because the leaning, and above all reversing, took practice.24 In Europe the cars were held to 45 km/h (28 mph), which meant that in Germany they could be driven on an AM licence from 15 or 16, depending on the state.4 In Tokyo, from 25 February 2015 to March 2018, Park24 offered i-Roads for one-way hire from about 30 of its Times Car Plus stations, and on 7 May 2015 Toyota began its Open Road Project: 10 cars, lent to about 100 people for about a month each. A two-seat test car followed on 20 November 2015.2 The cars came in blue, yellow, pink, green and white.2

On 23 July 2018 i-Roads were announced for carrying staff at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.2 After Grenoble there were smaller trials in Europe, and in 2020 home-care services in Berlin and Cologne were using them on evaluation runs.4 There the story stops. German Wikipedia says that Toyota found the i-Road too expensive to put into series production.4

Side view of a white and navy narrow three-wheeler on a white turntable lettered Toyota i-Road.
The Toyota i-Road in profile on its turntable at its world debut, the Geneva Motor Show, Switzerland, in March 2013.Photo: Norbert Aepli, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Blue and green narrow three-wheelers on a square marked out with traffic cones, people waiting behind.
Three Cité lib i-Roads on a coned training course for new users in Grenoble, France, in May 2017.Photo: Patafisik, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pink and black narrow three-wheeler connected by a green cable to a row of numbered charging posts in a street.
A pink Cité lib i-Road plugged in at a numbered charging post in a Grenoble street, France, in October 2014.Photo: Milky, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pictures

More photographs, old and new

The car 16

  • White and navy narrow three-wheeler with large alloy wheels on a white stand, seen from the front. Opens a larger view

    1 A white and navy Toyota i-Road at the Tokyo Motor Show, Japan, in November 2013.

  • Pink and black narrow three-wheeler on a white stand marked with coloured arrows. Opens a larger view

    2 A pink Toyota i-Road at the Paris Motor Show, France, in October 2014.

  • White and black narrow three-wheeler on a green turf stand with a Japanese information sign. Opens a larger view

    3 The road-test version of the Toyota i-Road on artificial grass at the Tokyo Motor Show, Japan, in November 2013.

  • White and black narrow three-wheeler with a single headlamp, seen from low down on a glossy show floor beside another i-Road. Opens a larger view

    4 A white Toyota i-Road at the Vancouver International Auto Show, Canada, in March 2017.

  • Side view of a lime-green and black narrow three-wheeler on a glossy floor, visitors standing behind it. Opens a larger view

    5 A green Toyota i-Road in profile at the Cleveland Auto Show, Ohio, United States, in February 2019.

11 more picturesFewer pictures
  • Rear of a blue and black narrow three-wheeler with its single rear wheel, on a show floor. Opens a larger view

    6 A blue Toyota i-Road from the rear three-quarter at the New York International Auto Show, United States, in April 2019.

  • Rear of a pink and black narrow three-wheeler with a single small rear wheel, on a white stand. Opens a larger view

    7 A pink Toyota i-Road from the rear three-quarter, showing its single rear wheel, at the Paris Motor Show, France, in October 2014.

  • Rear of a white and navy narrow three-wheeler on a glass stand, visitors photographing behind. Opens a larger view

    8 A white and navy Toyota i-Road at the Los Angeles Auto Show, United States, in November 2014.

  • Rear of a white and black narrow three-wheeler on green turf, a Toyota bus behind. Opens a larger view

    9 The road-test Toyota i-Road from the rear three-quarter at the Tokyo Motor Show, Japan, in November 2013.

  • Front of a blue and black narrow three-wheeler with a round headlamp, raised on a display with a city backdrop. Opens a larger view

    10 A blue Toyota i-Road seen head-on at the New York International Auto Show, United States, in April 2019.

  • Front of a white narrow three-wheeler with a round headlamp on a pale blue floor, a pick-up truck behind. Opens a larger view

    11 A Toyota i-Road head-on at the Washington Auto Show, United States, in January 2014.

  • Front of a very narrow white three-wheeler with a round lamp on a turntable before a Toyota sign and a crowd. Opens a larger view

    12 The Toyota i-Road seen head-on at its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, Switzerland, in March 2013.

  • Front of a pink and black narrow three-wheeler with a round chrome headlamp, on a white floor. Opens a larger view

    13 A pink Toyota i-Road seen head-on at the Paris Motor Show, France, in October 2014.

  • Yellow and black narrow three-wheeler on a white floor marked with a yellow box, exhibition panels behind. Opens a larger view

    14 A yellow and black Toyota i-Road on display at a Toyota exhibition in Japan in March 2017.

  • Rear of a narrow pink three-wheeler with round tail lamps, an i-Road plate and one small rear wheel. Opens a larger view

    15 A pink Toyota i-Road from directly behind at the Paris Motor Show, France, in October 2014.

  • Front of a white and grey narrow three-wheeler with a round headlamp and orange indicators on a show floor. Opens a larger view

    16 A white Toyota i-Road head-on at the Los Angeles Auto Show, United States, in November 2015.

Inside and details 2

  • Grey dashboard with a Toyota steering wheel, small switches, a door strap and the narrow footwell. Opens a larger view

    17 The cockpit of the road-test Toyota i-Road at the Tokyo Motor Show, Japan, in November 2013.

  • White and navy narrow three-wheeler with its door swung out, a television cameraman kneeling beside it. Opens a larger view

    18 The Toyota i-Road with its door open at the Geneva Motor Show, Switzerland, in March 2013.

Picture credits (18)
  1. 1 Mytho88, CC BY-SA 3.0
  2. 2 Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 3.0
  3. 3 Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0
  4. 4 JOHN LLOYD, CC BY 2.0
  5. 5 Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0
  6. 6 Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0
  7. 7 Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 3.0
  8. 8 Shelby Asistio, CC BY-SA 2.0
  9. 9 Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0
  10. 10 Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0
  11. 11 U.S. Department of Energy, Public domain
  12. 12 Norbert Aepli, CC BY 3.0
  13. 13 Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 3.0
  14. 14 Chad Kainz, CC BY 2.0
  15. 15 Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 3.0
  16. 16 Tracey Adams, CC BY 2.0
  17. 17 Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0
  18. 18 Clément Bucco-Lechat, CC BY-SA 3.0

Variants

Show car to test fleet

The i-Road family
VariantYearsWhat differsHow many
Geneva concept2013Two seats in tandem, 45 km/hShow car
Japanese test car2013–⁠15One seat, 60 km/h; 2,345 mm long, 870 mm wide10 in the Tokyo Open Road Project; others not known
Two-seat test car2015–A tandem two-seater again, from 20 November 2015Not known
European trial car2014–⁠20Limited to 45 km/h35 in Grenoble, by German Wikipedia

Specification

The Geneva concept of 2013 unless noted

Motors and battery

MotorsTwo in-wheel motors in the front wheels, 2 kW (2.7 PS) each143
BatteryLithium-ion; capacity not given14
ChargingAbout three hours from a household socket14
Range50 km at a constant 30 km/h142

Body and chassis

BodyEnclosed cabin with doors; no helmet needed13
LeaningActive Lean: an actuator above the front suspension banks the front wheels and cabin13
SteeringBy the single rear wheel4
Turning circle3.0 m minimum1English Wikipedia gives a radius of about 2.7 m

Dimensions

Length2,350 mm122,345 mm for the Japanese test car
Width850 mm13870 mm for the test car
Height1,445 mm121,455 mm for the test car
Wheelbase1,700 mm121,695 mm for the test car
Weight300 kg2

Performance and running

Top speed45 km/h (concept and Europe); 60 km/h (Japanese test car)42
PriceNever sold4

How many were built?

The fleets that are counted

Trial fleets onlyThe i-Road was never put into series production, and no total of cars built has been found. Two fleets are counted; how many i-Roads ran in Grenoble is told two ways.

  1. about 70i-Roads in Grenoble, as English Wikipedia words it; the scheme as announced had about 70 small cars, COMS includedUnconfirmed

    English and Japanese Wikipedia32

  2. 35i-Roads in Grenoble’s Cité lib scheme, 2014–⁠17One source

    German Wikipedia4

  3. 10cars in Tokyo’s Open Road Project, 2015One source

    Japanese Wikipedia2

  • Two sources agreetwo good sources give the figure
  • One sourcea good source, alone
  • Unconfirmeda lead only, not yet checked

Famous for

Three points

  1. It leans by itself

    Active Lean banks the front wheels and cabin into a bend, worked out from the steering, a gyro and the speed.

  2. Steered from behind

    The single rear wheel steers, as on a forklift truck.

  3. Four to a bay

    At 850 mm wide, four fit in one car parking space, by Toyota’s account.

Survivors and collecting

Today

The trial cars belonged to Toyota, and no private owner, club or auction sale has been found. Photographs show i-Roads on display in Toyota’s Mega Web showroom at Odaiba, Tokyo, in 2015, and at the New York and Cleveland motor shows in 2019.

Yellow and black narrow three-wheeler next to a white charging post in a bright showroom.
A yellow i-Road beside a charging post at Toyota’s Mega Web showroom, Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan, in April 2015.Photo: IQRemix, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

Numbered as in the text

The account rests on Toyota’s release for the Geneva show and on three Wikipedia articles, in German, Japanese and English. Sources are given as plain text; the links are on the Credits page.

  1. Toyota Motor Europe, “2013 Geneva Motor Show: Toyota i-ROAD”, press release, 4 March 2013.
  2. Japanese Wikipedia, 「トヨタ・i-ROAD」 (Toyota i-ROAD). Used as a lead.
  3. English Wikipedia, Toyota concept vehicles (2010–⁠2019), the i-Road and Insect sections. Used as a lead.
  4. German Wikipedia, Toyota i-Road, read in full. Used as a lead.