Toyota i-Road Concept Has Three Wheels, Tons of Fun

The Toyota i-Road at Geneva Motor Show

There have been a flurry of unveils and debuts at the Geneva Motor Show this week, but we can say with confidence one of the most unique, cool and fun-looking concept vehicles came from Toyota with its Toyota i-Road.

At first glance, it may just look like an enclosed motorcycle, but the i-Road actually has three wheels set in tandem. It can seat two in tandem to keep it balanced, only goes about 28 miles per hour using two 2kW engines that allows to go about 30 miles on a single charge.

But the most exciting technology is the i-Road Active Lean technology and "allows you to bomb through bends without tipping over." Here's how it works according to Wired.com (click the link to also see a video of the i-Road):

"Based on speed, gyroscope angle and amount steering input, the i-ROAD’s onboard computer calculates the exact amount of lean required to make a turn thanks to an actuator mounted on both sides of the front suspension. Turn into a left-hand bend and the right wheel pushes down while the left suspension compresses. Additionally, the system is tuned to compensate for rough road surfaces, supposedly making straight-line driving more comfortable in spite of the i-ROAD’s minuscule wheelbase."

Click HERE to see a CNET video of the i-Road in action at the Geneva Motor Show. It looks like a ton of fun to drive.

While the i-Road is only a concept vehicle, we think it could be pretty popular in an urban area like the Seattle area because of it's small, scooter-like environmental footprint AND the fact that it's enclosed takes the Western Washington weather factor out of owning a scooter! How many people do you know in the Puget Sound area who own scooters or motorcycles that only get to ride them four to six months out of the year because it rains so much here? The Toyota i-Road could be a solution to that!

What do you think? Would you buy the Toyota i-Road to satisfy your scooter-desires and defeat the rain?