An Israeli innovation is capturing attention in the streets of Tel Aviv. City Transformer's foldable car prototype, dubbed "the world's first adaptable car," can shrink to "drive like a car and park like a motorcycle."
Read more:
The electric car slims down from 2.5 meters (just over 8 feet) to just 1 meter (3.2 feet) in width and can reach up to 90 km/h (57 mph).
Founded in 2014, City Transformer is gearing up for production of its advanced model at the Cecomp plant in Torino, Italy, with sales starting in July. The company has secured 1,000 orders in Israel for medical emergency teams, plus another 1,000 globally.
Priced at 16,000 euros before VAT and taxes, it may cost up to NIS 100,000 in Israel, raising questions about its market viability.
In its narrowest setting, the car's top speed is 40 km/h (24 mph). With a push of a button on the steering wheel, it expands to full width to occupy a whole lane.
It houses twin engines in the rear wheels, providing up to 20 horsepower, taking 5 seconds to reach 50 km/h (31 mph)—almost twice as slow as other modern electric cars. Weighing just 450 kg (992 lbs), it easily merges into city traffic.
The Korean-made batteries offer a range of 180 kilometers (112 miles) that drops off to 120 kilometers (74.5 miles) with air conditioning on. Like many of its competitors, hitting the brakes requires some force because the brake booster was left out to keep the weight of the vehicle down.
The driver's seat is surprisingly comfortable, and the large doors make getting in and out of the car easy. Access to the back seat is more challenging, but folding it down provides ample storage space.
Despite its compact size, the transformer boasts a sizable turning diameter of 8.5 meters (nearly 27 feet), facilitating easy parking with up to four vehicles fitting into an average city parking spot.
It offers a smart urban solution, blending maneuverability with speed and stability. However, its high cost could limit it to being merely a novelty unless the price is lowered.