Currently reading: Toyota i-Road starts testing in Tokyo
A fleet of Toyota's futuristic i-Road personal mobility vehicle starts testing in Tokyo, with up to 70 examples coming to France later this year

Trials of the Toyota i-Road three-wheeled personal mobility vehicle have started in Tokyo.

Toyota says the first phase of real-world testing of the all-electric i-Road will determine how it copes in the urban environment.

A range of testers, including industry experts and the general public will run a fleet of ten i-Road vehicles, and will feed back information on what it's like to drive, how easy it is to use and driver satisfaction.

The i-Road is powered by two in-wheel electric motors, producing a combined output of 5.4bhp. It has a top speed of 28mph, with a range of just over 30 miles, if driven economically. Charging takes just over three hours from a standard domestic supply.

Measuring 2350mm long by 1445mm high and with a wheelbase of 1700mm, up to four i-Roads could be parked in a single standard car parking bay. The i-Road also includes Toyota's 'Active Lean' technolgy, which alloys the vehicle to lean into corners according to information gathered from a gyro sensor.

A concept version of the i-Road was revealed at the Geneva motor show last year, but the test version has been adjusted to improve visibility and ease of use. Toyota says the 300kg i-Road should be "as nimble to handle in traffic as a scooter, but with car-like stability".

The company has confirmed up to 70 units of the two-seat i-Road will also begin testing in the French city of Grenoble later this year.

Read Autocar's first drive of the Toyota i-Road.

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