World’s first folding car to launch this summer – with real-life Transformer EV on sale for just £14,000
THE world’s first Transformer-like car which can actually fold is due to launch this summer.
The fully-electric car might be ideal for city driving as thanks to its novel ability to fold, it can easily squeeze into tight spaces and parks like a motorcycle.
A CT-2 vehicle measures just 4.5 feet wide but uses different modes to expand or shrink in size to as small as 3.2 feet, allowing it to fit into a tight parking space or down a narrow street.
It works by reducing its wheelbase, rather than shrinking the cabin, which can fit a driver and a passenger.
However, any driver who likes to put their foot down may be a little disappointed as it only reaches 55mph in five seconds when in its largest mode, and just 24mph at its narrowest.
It has a range of between 74 and 111 miles before it needs recharging, according to the company.
The Israel-based City Transformer is poised to release its CT-2 car in July around the world and it comes with a £13,700 (€16,000) price tag.
It can be pre-ordered across the globe for a down payment of £128 (€150).
The company said: “In the bustling realm of urban mobility, City Transformer emerges as a pioneer, challenging conventions and reshaping the way we perceive cars and their impact on the world.
“At the core of this transformative journey lies a passionate commitment to integrating sustainable materials into their innovative designs.”
It clams the vehicle offers a “cleaner, smarter urban lifestyle” by “reducing emissions and noise pollution”.
The firm also says the CT-2 leaves a “gentler footprint on the planet” due to using sustainable materials and is environmentally conscious due to its smaller size to help cities “detox transportation”.
Compared to a standard four-door vehicle, the CT-2 is 75 per cent lighter, making it twice as energy efficient, the company says.
Its battery is 70 per cent lighter than other EVs, meaning it will use less energy-intensive mining for the lithium-ion batteries that can cause pollution.
Due to the CT-2 needed smaller batteries, City Transformer claims it will make 13million tons of batteries obsolete by the end of the decade.
The company also said the compact vehicle will reduce 1,200 tons of emissions annually, compared to other EVs and has a yearly target of a 12.2 material footprint.
That 12.2 material footprint is the global goal to reduce the amount of fuel, fossils and metals that are used to manufacture cars and other production and consumption per capita, as set out by the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.
City Transformer has reportedly already secured 1,000 orders for medical emergency teams in Israel and has got another 1,000 orders from around the world.
The firm’s chief design officer Eyal Cremer said: “CT-2 will be a game changer, not only in mobility but also in all aspects of urban community life.
“It will free our time, free our minds and free our cities. Reclaiming their public space back to people.”
