Our cleaner vehicle technology is not just about hybrids. We believe all-electric vehicles also have an important part to play in providing low carbon transport.

A key role for electric vehicles

We may be famous for our hybrid technology, but we know that hybrids are not the only solution we can use to help deliver better, more energy-efficient transport. We have also been developing electric vehicle technology as part of our future mobility roadmap. We believe electric vehicles are a great way to improve mobility and reduce pollution in urban areas.

Where our hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell hybrid vehicles are ideal for longer journeys, electric vehicles are best suited to short, low-speed journeys in towns and cities. Compact, zero-emissions electric vehicles powered by batteries that are quick to recharge can improve air quality and ease traffic congestion. They are quiet, easy to drive and have low running costs, making them perfect for commuting journeys or as delivery vehicles.

Main advantages

Toyota is part of an innovative partnership helping shape the future of urban mobility in Grenoble, France. It is providing electric vehicles and a car-sharing management system to Cité Lib by Ha:mo in a three-year project launched in October 2014 to explore new possibilities in integrating private and public transport.

A unique partnership

Cité Lib by Ha:mo is a partnership between Toyota, the City of Grenoble, the Grenoble-Alpes-Métropole metropolitan area, energy provider EDF, EDF’s affiliate Sodetrel and car sharing operator Cité Lib. As well as contributing a fleet of i-ROAD and COMS electric vehicles for the three-year programme, Toyota is also providing its Ha:mo (harmonious mobility) IT system to help people plan their journeys using different transport options, such as buses, trams, bicycles and walking.

"This project came to fruition because all of its partners have the same aspiration — we all want to be a part of creating a future urban mobility. Urban mobility solutions will be a key growth area for Toyota in the future."
Takeshi Uchiyamada, Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation

Cité Lib by Ha:mo builds an integrated network of accessible public transport options, including Toyota i-ROAD and COMS vehicles, buses, trains and trams, and provides a simple route planning tool to help people make easy, affordable and environmentally efficient journeys.

Promoting multi-modal transport in cities

The aim is to create a better co-ordinated, affordable and accessible transport network, including public access to an electric vehicle fleet. There are 35 Toyota i-ROAD and 35 COMS – available for public hire at 27 parking and charging locations across the city, the majority of them at key transport interchanges.

They can be used for many different types of journeys: short, direct A-to-B trips, doing the shopping, reaching a business appointment or visiting friends. They are also ideal for the first or last part of a journey, taking you to or from a train station, tram or bus stop.

People can check availability, plan their route , book and pay for their vehicle using dedicated apps on their smartphone or computer. You simply pick up your vehicle at one station and leave it at another close to your destination.

Better air, less traffic, more space

The scheme is designed to be as user-friendly and efficient as possible. By adding easily accessible, zero emissions vehicles to the public transport network, more traffic can be taken off the roads, easing congestion, improving air quality and protecting the environment. Even urban planning is made simpler, with fewer and smaller parking spaces being required.

Cité Lib by Ha:mo Gallery

In harmony with public transport, charging stations close to bus and tram stops.

120 charging points around Grenoble and surrounding cities.

100% green electricity.

Little space used for parking.

Easy to manoeuver and fun to drive.

Which colour do you want to drive?

Toyota electric cars

Our i-ROAD and COMS show how clever design and electric vehicle technology can produce compact, eco-friendly vehicles that are ideal for travelling around town.

COMS : a practical electric car

Like i-ROAD, COMS is a compact electric vehicle designed for driving around town. It is more conventional in design, with a single seat and four wheels, and more like a regular car to drive. It is available to customers in the Cité Lib by Ha:mo project as an alternative to i-ROAD and comes with a small trunk that can carry shopping or overnight bags.

The COMS is manufactured by Toyota Auto Body and uses a traditional lead-acid type of battery.

The COMS has an autonomy of around 50km and is limited to 45km/h.

COMS has a handy trunk to carry shopping or small items of luggage.

The design is like a conventional car, with four wheels.

COMS has a single-seat cabin with roof and doors to protect the driver from the elements.

Small and easy to manoeuvre, COMS can be parked with ease and takes up little kerb space.

i-ROAD : agile two-seater electric car

The Toyota i-ROAD is designed with urban driving in mind. It is only slightly wider than a motor scooter, but it has a roof and two doors and is more stable, with two wheels at the front and one at the rear. It uses our new Active Lean technology, leaning as you turn into a bend, much like a downhill skier makes turns.

All you have to do is turn the steering wheel as in a normal car. It is powered by a rechargeable compact lithium-ion battery, which produces no emissions. There is an extra seat behind the driver, adding to the convenience of a vehicle that is easy, quiet and fun to drive.

Active Lean technology delivers a unique driving experience, with all the enjoyment of two-wheeler riding and exceptional manoeuvrability.

i-ROAD is not just useful, it is genuinely fun to drive.

Compact dimensions make it easy to park in tight spaces.

i-ROAD handles with agility, yet is perfectly stable.

Powered by electricity, i-ROAD produces zero emissions when driven.

i-ROAD in Japan

The challenge for i-ROAD Chief Engineer Akihiro Yanaka was to create a vehicle that is slim, compact and highly manoeuvrable. He found inspiration in one of his favourite hobbies, skiing.

He said: “The driver and the vehicle need to move in synchronisation, so I thought about the most natural way of doing this and came up with skiing. I actually found a lot of inspiration from skiing in the way the i-ROAD driver feels in control, while having an enjoyable sensation of being at one with the vehicle. I believe it creates a new feeling in everyday movement.”

We are developing the potential and appeal of i-ROAD in the Open Road project, a year-long research and development exercise in Tokyo.

One hundred people are being given access to an i-ROAD for one month each to explore ideas and potential two specific areas: finding space-saving places where the i-ROAD can be parked and re-charged; and looking at how the vehicle can be customised with colourful 3D-printed parts to make each one personal to the owner. We are using feedback from the project to create new value for the future of i-ROAD, building on its core strengths to increase its user appeal and its practicality in urban areas.