The grown-ups in the room will remember it from a cartoon from the 80s. The Jetsons, a family from space, had something that everyone wanted: a folding car and probably 100% electric. Now, a startup wants to make it a reality and put them into circulation in big cities. It may not fit in the space of a briefcase, but the idea is close.
And it is approaching from the hand of a startup of Israeli origin: City Transformer. Born in Tel Aviv in 2014, the company has been working on electric car models for some time. Similar to Renault’s twizy, a 100% electric model that the French company put on the streets almost a decade ago. Also competing in the Citroën AMI line or the Open Rocks-e.
For carry out your folding electric car project, the Israeli startup has closed an agreement with SEGULA Technologies. The engineering multinational in the mobility sector will be in charge of carrying out the development of the new folding vehicle. The one known as CT-1, still in the creation phase, will be the product that both companies plan to launch on the market throughout 2024. And both brands need each other at various points.
On the one hand, City Transformer provides knowledge within the micromobility sector and electric vehicles designed for the city. SEGULA Technologies provides the industry and the necessary technology to create a scale product. On the part of the technology, also a round of financing closed a little less than a month ago. 10 million dollars that had a clear objective: finance the production and scale design of its folding electric vehicle model. A process that will cover multiple geographies. In the first phase of collaboration, the group’s engineers from France, Germany, Israel and
Australia will enter a feasibility phase expected to be completed by the end of 2022 for further manufacturing until 2024.
Like a motorcycle, but in a folding electric car format
The reality is that City Transformer has not invented anything when it comes to mobility. But he does try to enter a segment in which others have not dared: the folding electric car concept. Or what is the same, adaptable to all the needs that may arise in a city. With two seats and four wheels, the idea is that the chassis of the electric vehicle transforms in real time. With a modular architecture that is conceived cwith origin on a skateboardthe objective of this development – which still has to go through the design, development and testing phase – has an ambitious objective: to go from a maximum width of 1.4 meters to 1 meter.
His greatest virtue? Being able to park anywhere. Or, at least, achieve the dream of all those who want their car to enter the available slot.
With a maximum speed of 90 km/h – let us remember that it is designed for mobility in cities – its speed is limited to 45 km/h when it is completely folded. It has a weight of 590 kg, as well as a range of 180 km. All elements inherited from the previous City Transformer electric models and that are now launched with the search for the folding model.
It is not, in any case, the first time that the new folding electric car has been seen. The technology company presented the model at the Munich Motor Show in 2021. With a starting price of around 12,500 euros for the first orders, the idea of the march is to increase the price to 16,000 euros. For the reduced amount, the period of pre-order for 150 euros.