The City Transformer CT-1 is a brand-new electric vehicle that’s aimed at tackling busy and narrow city streets. Made by an Israeli company, the CT-1, which is currently in the prototype stage, has a very cool party trick: it can extend and retract its wheels, widening and narrowing its chassis.
In unfolded mode, it’s 1.4 metres wide and can reach a top speed of 55 miles per hour. To get it into the folded mode, the car’s speed needs to be between 6-30 mph and the driver just has to press a button for two seconds, shrinking the CT-1’s width to just 1 m. And with a length of 2.5 m, it’s just about the easiest-parking vehicle out there, and you can even park it nose-first, as the video embedded above this article shows.
As for speed, the little Israeli-made electric urban runabout can sprint from 0-31 mph in five seconds, while the 16 kilowatt-hours battery can be DC fast-charged at up to 14 kilowatts. The maximum range is 111 miles, while the power output is a combined 15 kW from two, 7.5 kW electric motors.
Shape-shifting cars:
It has a 1+1 seating configuration, with the passenger sitting behind the driver, and the rear seat can be folded to get access to the 350 litres trunk, which is surprisingly spacious for such a small vehicle. However, as the video illustrates, taking a friend along for a ride can be a bit tricky, as there isn’t quite enough room for two people inside.
There are some nice creature comforts such as electric windows, heating, a sunroof, and smartphone connectivity, with the whole software side of the EV being handled by Bosch.
With an estimated starting price of €16,000 (approx. £14,300), the City Transformer CT-1 looks rather interesting and forward-thinking.
Source: Fully Charged Show (YouTube)