The three wheeler has come a long way from Del Boy’s Robin Reliant of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Manufacturers that include Renault with its Twizy, and Piaggio with its Mp3, have both advanced the three-wheeler’s cause, squeezing its dimensions into a motorbike shape, rather than that of a car. But while those models – and others like them – have demonstrated how a three wheeler can navigate busy urban roads with ease, and cost far less to run than an ordinary car, they might not be described as revolutionary.
But Toyota’s most recent venture into the world of three wheels looks as if it might just cause a revolution. Motoring journalists have been over in Tokyo to see the auto giant’s i-Road model, which departs from previous three wheelers in a number of exciting ways.
For a start, it tilts into corners via a special powered mechanism. This offers big advantages in terms of performance and manoeuvrability. It also has two wheels at the front, and one at the back; the rear one takes care of the steering. This tandem seat machine was a big hit with those fortunate enough to go across to Japan and test drive one.
The stability of the i-Road was especially lauded, not least because it is entirely dependent on complex algorithms rattling through the CPU. Would you trust your cornering ability to a computer? The auto journalists concerned definitely did.
The i-Road is fitted with a lithium-ion battery that feeds two bespoke 2kW motors for the front wheels, which can propel the vehicle to a top speed of 28mph – or 37mph if you’re driving the amped-up Japanese version.
Re-charge takes around three hours, and the whole vehicle weighs just 300kg.
And since it is built by Toyota, not Robin Reliant, you’ll find you won’t have to draw on your breakdown cover service too often!
Breakdown Cover from 
