There are small vehicles, there are subcompact cars, and then there is the CT electric vehicle, which is so small that it is inaccurate to refer to it as a "car." It might be more appropriately referred to as a four-wheeled, totally enclosed motorcycle because, at a maximum width of 4.5 feet and a height of just over five feet, this thing redefines little. This is due to the CT-1's foldable chassis, which enables it to dynamically alter its footprint by narrowing it to a minimum width of just 3.3 feet. But an Israeli startup business called City Transformer had that as its main goal.
Basically, if you think that petrol prices and traffic in major cities are bad in the United States, you haven't traveled to Europe. City Transformer refers to its EV model as a next-generation mobility solution rather than a vehicle. The car barely weighs 1,300 pounds, making it lightweight. The battery pack that powers the two 7.5 kW electric motors are said to be 75% lighter than batteries seen in other top EVs, however, most of it is due to its small size.
City Transformer's CT-1 model
With its Active Width Adjustment technology, which is employed to accomplish all the shape modifications, the CT-1 will be able to fit into all kinds of unusual parking places. The broader 4.5-foot stance can be used in "Performance Mode" to give the CT-1 extra stability on the open road. Considering that the top speed is only 55 mph, you won't need it. There is a range of between 75 and 112 miles provided by the battery.
You can select "City Mode," which shrinks the car to a trim of 3.3 feet, when searching for a parking space in the city. Four CT-1s can fit into a single standard space thanks to its minuscule size, which frees up as much as 75% of the neighboring parking. In the city, the top speed limit is 28 mph. It can "zip" from a stop to 31 mph in 5 seconds if that piques your interest. It would be best not to drag-race anyone in this, especially bikes.
Furthermore, there are just 1,500 parts in the entire car. A typical EV has 8,000, while an internal combustion engine (ICE) has 25,000. For the CT-1, Cit Transformer won the gold medal at the 2022 German Innovation Awards. Regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the CT-1 would regrettably never be able to pass muster in the US.
Start-up for electric vehicles (EV) in Israel City Transformer will soon begin a Series B investment round in order to achieve $50 million, with the goal of beginning manufacturing of its compact urban model in Western Europe by the end of 2024. The startup, which has collected $20 million to yet, has chosen a facility in Western Europe where it would initially produce 15,000 vehicles annually but isn't yet able to reveal its location. The extra money the start-up is raising ought to hasten series development.
According to the company, the EV can accommodate two persons seated side by side and might be used for last-mile deliveries or other companies. The Israeli start-up, which was established in 2014, provided the most crucial information and unveiled its size-changeable "Urban EV" to the general public for the first time in 2021 at the IAA Mobility in Munich.
Who is Asaf Formoza
Asaf Formoza is the CEO and founder of City Transformer – the world's first 100% electric intelligently foldable urban EV that serves as a concrete illustration of the new norm in transportation for the future of mobility. It has the potential to inspire entire cities to adopt commuter behaviors that are more environmentally conscious, customer-focused, connected, safe, and individualized.
He has a strong educational background with a Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophy, Mechanical Engineering), and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He's been instrumental in getting the electric folding city automobile developed by the Israeli automotive startup business City Transformer. The company, which was established in 2014 by a group of mechanical engineering Ph.D. candidates from Israel's Ben-Gurion University and an auto mechanic, took off as a creative response to the problems that currently plague urban traffic, including a lack of parking, heavy traffic, and air and noise pollution. The chassis of the car was specially designed to facilitate the solution.
