Pioneering electric mobility start-up recognized for its forward-thinking vision, ethos and innovation by the renowned German Design Council
In winning the ‘Gold’ German Innovation Award 2022, City Transformer reinforces its position at the vanguard of sustainable electric mobility
City Transformer’s first model – the CT-1 – is the world’s first all-electric microcar that transforms its wheelbase to outsmart traffic and fit tight spaces
Having been fully homologated, CT-1 is currently being refined and optimized on European roads in preparation for series production in 2024
City Transformer showcasing its award-winning tech at the Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit in Abu Dhabi (EVIS, 23–25 May) at stand 1025
25 May 2022 – City Transformer, EV tech disruptors from Israel, has been awarded the coveted ‘Gold’ German Innovation Award 2022 by the German Design Council.
The highly prestigious and sought-after award recognizes City Transformer’s pioneering advancements in electric sustainable mobility and the company’s forward-looking vision to regenerate and modernize the polluted, congested and problematic urban city spaces.
By presenting City Transformer with the German Innovation Award 2022, the German Design Council has further underscored the importance and credibility of the company’s daring ethos in reinterpreting the notion of mobility and the impact its state-of-the-art technologies and products are set to realize.
Speaking at the awards ceremony – which this year took place at the German Museum of Technology in Berlin – Eyal Cremer, co-founder and chief designer, said: “To win the German Innovation Award 2022 is a very proud moment and an outstanding achievement for the City Transformer team. It not only recognizes the hard work we have undertaken so far in the changing mobility space; it’s also given us further confidence that we are on the right forward path and our vision and ethos is shared by the wider design, innovation and tech communities.”
CT-1 – the mobility gamechanger
At the nucleus of City Transformer is the first model in its product range – the CT-1. The all-electric two-seat, four-wheel, microcar features proprietary shape-shifting technology that transforms its wheelbase in real-time and on the road to outsmart traffic and fit into tight urban spaces. As a result, the CT-1 promises to be a mobility gamechanger for urban living, helping to transform the city landscape into a cleaner, greener and quieter space that operates seamlessly with high-tech and optimized transport solutions.
The CT-1’s underpinnings are based on the company’s in-house developed and highly advanced modular skateboard architecture that ensures the foldable microcar is a perfect fit for inner city life, where being behind the wheel of a vehicle is often a stressful, time-consuming, expensive and arduous experience.
With its revolutionary active width adjustment technology – the CT-1 can ‘fold’ from its 1.4-meter width to an ultra-compact one-meter measurement on the road in real-time while driving – the all-electric microcar delivers a true mobility breakthrough in overcoming congestion, parking problems, pollution and electric vehicle running costs.
The advanced architecture also ensures the CT-1 is an engaging drive that is fun and full of character. Having recently achieved full homologation, the CT-1 is undergoing further honing and optimization on European roads in preparation for series production in 2024.
Weighing just 590kg – including the battery pack which is 80% smaller in mass compared with most other standard electric vehicle (EV) batteries on the market today – the CT-1 offers an outstanding 180km real-world zero-emissions driving range. The time it takes to do a weekly shop for the family – 30 minutes – is also the impressively short turnaround the CT-1 needs to re-charge its batteries from 10% to 80%.
At full 1.4-meters width, the CT-1 has a top speed of 90km/h; when it’s at a one-meter width, speed is capped to 45km/h. Tests have shown that the all-electric microcar is much safer than scooters and e-bikes.
Studies have also shown that thanks to its innovative changing dimensions and overall compact package, CT-1 drivers are 10 times more likely to find parking spots. They also benefit from greatly reduced time having to be spent behind the steering wheel and far cheaper everyday EV running costs. In fact, the CT-1 is twice as efficient as other typical EVs on the market today.
A mobility vision for all
Sitting alongside the CT-1 at the core of City Transformer is the company’s bold vision to develop a unique mobility service business model that will further transition radical change across large and densely populated cities. As part of this ambitious strategy, which will first be rolled out across Europe, City Transformer will tailor its ingenious mobility tech solutions so that they perfectly fit the requirements of private, business fleet, public and commercial use, including the last-mile delivery market.
Established by the German Bundestag and supported by industry partners, the German Design Council has been promoting design, innovation and technology since 1953.
The prized German Innovation Award honors products and solutions that distinguish themselves primarily by their user centricity and added value compared to earlier solutions across all sectors.
Lutz Dietzold, managing director of the German Design Council, said: “The German Innovation Awards is designed for all those who want to use their innovative strength to contribute to a future worth living for everyone, who want to present their developments to the public for this purpose and position them successfully on the market. And with the annual German Innovation Awards, we honor the best of these innovative achievements.”
City Transformer is also offering private individuals the chance to be an early adopter of disruptive EV technology by pre-ordering the CT-1. The ‘Future vehicle of urban mobility’ can now be pre-ordered for a fully-refundable €150 via the website: www.citytransformer.com.