The City Transformer CT-1 Can Shape-Shift To Tackle Tiny Parking Spaces
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 4.59 feet (1.4 meters) wide and can reach a top speed of 55 miles per hour (90 kilometers per hour). To get it into the folded mode, the car’s speed needs to be between 6-30 mph (9-48 km/h) and the driver just has to press a button for two seconds, shrinking the CT-1’s width to just 3.28 ft (1 m). And with a length of 8.2 ft (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 (0-50 km/h) 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 (178 kilometers), while the power output is a combined 15 kW from two, 7.5 kW electric motors.
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 12.36 cubic feet (350 liters) 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 Euro (around $17,500 at current exchange rates), the City Transformer CT-1 looks rather interesting and forward-thinking, although its future on US soil is hard to predict, considering the larger city cars made by Smart didn’t really catch on, with the brand being discontinued in 2019.
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