Tight alleyway? No problem! Incredible ‘minicar’ features retractable wheels that allow it to ride through narrow spaces with easeThe new shape-shifting CT-1 can fit into spaces that are just 100cm-wideIts Tel Aviv-based designers claim four CT-1s can fit into one standard space The car operates between two different modes, reducing and expanding its size
Whether it’s to fit into a tight parking space or down a narrow country lane, at some point we’ve all wished our cars were just that little narrower, if only for a moment.
Well, an Israeli start-up company may have come up with a solution for this predicament after unveiling a new shape-shifting ‘minicar’ which has retractable wheels that allow it to fit into spaces just 40 inches (100cm) wide.
Thanks to its morphing capabilities, the €16,000 (£13,932) electric City Transformer (CT-1) ‘outsmarts traffic like a motorcycle’ but ‘rides safely and conveniently like a car’, its designers say.
They claim that four CT-1s can fit into just one standard-sized parking space, increasing the chances of finding a perfect spot by 10.
Traffic chaos could also plummet thanks to the ‘pioneering’ vehicle, the engineers claim, enabling motorists to journey through winding cities with ease.
The new shape-shifting CT-1 can fit into spaces that are just 100cm-wide, designers claim
Its designers said: ‘City Transformer is a unique auto-tech company: it designs, develops, and produces innovative foldable smart electric vehicles for big international cities.
CT-1 SPECIFICATIONS
Width: 4.5ft (1.4m) wide in Performance Mode and 3.2ft (1m) wide in City Mode
Length: 8.2ft (2.5m)
Maximum speed: 55mph (90km/h)
Range: 111 miles (180km)
Price: €16,000 (£13,932)
‘”Mobility as a Service” is the ethos that underpins City Transformer. It is this vision that will start the revolution in intelligent, clean, and efficient mobility – offering road users a new sense of sustainable freedom.’
Drivers of the ultra-compact car can switch between two different settings depending on the type of journey they intend to make.
Its Performance Mode expands the CT-1’s wheels to make the vehicle act more like a car, while its City Mode reels these back in towards the car’s frame.
This reduces the car’s width from 4.5ft (1.4m) to 3.2ft (1m), making it easy for city residents to make short commutes.
The CT-1’s gull-winged doors also allow for stress-free exits in spaces where there is not enough room to swing doors open.
Despite its small size, the two-seater CT-1 can travel at nearly 60mph, with designers also boasting a quick charging time of 80 per cent in less than hour.
It can travel for more than 110 miles before needing a recharge – which the company says is equivalent to six ‘urban car rides’.
Its Tel Aviv-based designers claim four CT-1s can fit into one standard-sized parking space
The car operates between two different modes, reducing and expanding its width
The CT-1’s gull-winged doors can also make it easier to exit the vehicle in a small space
Its Performance Mode (pictured left) expands the CT-1’s wheels to make the vehicle act more like a car, while its City Mode (right) reels these back in towards the car’s frame. This reduces the car’s width from 1.4m to 1m, making it easy for city residents to make short city commutes
CT-1s are currently available to pre-order at a cost of €16,000 (£13,932), but this excludes any added taxes. The first models are due to come off the production line at the end of 2024, or possibly in 2025.
Its design also follows numerous other small-car inventions suited to driving on narrow roads.
Last year, Elio designed a tiny three-wheeled vehicle that goes from 0 to 60 mph in just 9.6 seconds.
This was up for sale at a price of $6,800 (£4,075), with enough room for just two passengers.
Alex Orchin from Sussex, also showed off his quirky Peel P50 last year that was just 103cm long.
In 2010, the Peel was listed in the Guinness World records and given the title of the smallest production car ever made.
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