Marking the i-ROAD's first official on-road trial in Europe, the test is being run in the autumn in a partnership between the City and the Metropolitan Area of Grenoble, French energy company EDF, Japanese car maker Toyota and Citélib, a local car-sharing operator.

Toyota is providing 70 of its i-ROAD two-seater three-wheeler and COMS single-seater four-wheeler vehicles. The vehicles can be charged at around 30 charging stations managed by Sodetrel (EDF Group) and located close to public transport stops.

Called “Citélib by Ha:Mo”, the scheme will run alongside the existing Citélib car-sharing scheme in Grenoble.

The scheme is operated by a smartphone app – users can reserve and pay and then need to flash their phone onto the charging station to release the vehicle.

Toyota is also developing a data management system that will enable the visualisation and reservation of the vehicles.

‘This concept fits within our overall future mobility vision which is based on four pillars: safety, comfort, ease of use and ecology,’ commented Michel Gardel, Vice President of Toyota Motor Europe. ‘Ha:mo was designed to reduce the stress caused by traffic jams, peak traffic hours, and searching for a parking space. It also allows a reduction in emissions that cause poor air quality in city centres,’ he added.