- Electric mobility start-up’s first model, the two-seater CT-1, has secured a 2023 ‘Gold’ German Design Award for passenger vehicle product design
- CT-1 features a unique shape-shifting chassis, transforming between 1m to 1.4m wide while in motion to help it thread through traffic or maximize stability
- CT-1 has the smallest environmental and physical footprint possible for any truly practical urban vehicle
- Launch plan safeguarded by an international investment of more than $20m, plus strategic partnerships with Bosch and SEGULA
- Production will start Q4 2024 in Europe, with pre-orders now open at a discounted price of €12,500
15 December 2022 – City Transformer, a pioneering Israeli electric mobility start-up, has been recognized in the prestigious 2023 German Design Awards.
The marque’s first production model, the CT-1, has been awarded ‘Gold’ for its excellent and outstanding design in the category of passenger vehicles, with jurors highlighting its revolutionary shape-shifting chassis. The CT-1 was previously recognized by the renowned German Design Council earlier this year when it was also awarded ‘Gold’ in the 2022 German Innovation Awards.
The CT-1 is a mini-mobility vehicle that provides the maneuverability and easy parking of a motorcycle, coupled with the safety, comfort, and performance of a car. The two-seater all-electric microcar can transform while in motion – from 1.4m wide where it is capable of 90km/h on open roads, to just 1m wide to allow it to maneuver through heavy traffic and park easily in smaller spaces. Compared to an average, full-sized electric vehicle, the CT-1 is twice as energy efficient, 75% smaller in weight and footprint, and saves 80% in battery weight.
The German Design Award jury described the CT-1 as: “a role model for sustainability” and “the perfect solution in urban traffic.” They also praised its compact size, its extraordinary ability to expand the width of its axles, its pleasantly spacious cockpit, and its state-of-the-art technical functions.
Since its concept creation in 2017, City Transformer has raised more than $20m in investment from individuals and organizations in Israel, Singapore, Canada, and the USA, with an additional $100m expected through 2023.
The latest round enabled City Transformer to build two advanced seventh-generation homologation prototypes, securing full approval to drive on European roads and leading to the introduction of the CT-1 production model in August 2021.
Dr. Asaf Formoza, co-founder and CEO of City Transformer, said: “We are thrilled to receive this honor from the German Design Council. This award recognizes that the CT-1 has been beautifully designed in all aspects – technologically, environmentally, aesthetically, and experientially. Our serial production vehicle will take this design one step further, giving our customers something to look forward to. I would like to thank Mr. Lutz Dietzold, the CEO of the German Design Council, and all jury members.”
Earlier this year, City Transformer selected SEGULA Technologies France as its leading engineering development partner across all aspects of design and engineering. It also signed an agreement with Bosch Software to collaborate on the development of a seamless, user-friendly automotive connection to the digital world with the best customer experience. The company’s brand identity is currently being shaped by Stockholm Design Lab, the company responsible for the branding of Volvo, Polestar, Adidas, and Absolut.
City Transformer is due to launch a shared fleet pilot with the municipalities of Tel Aviv in Israel and Heilbronn in Germany in Q1 2024.
Serial production and market launch of the CT-1 is due to start in Q4 2024. Customers can pre-order with a fully refundable €150 deposit, with a total price of €13,000 (£10,730) before VAT and local taxes, for a limited time and in limited quantity via the company’s website. The final price will be €16,000, excluding VAT and local taxes.
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About City Transformer:
City Transformer was founded in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 2014 by Dr. Asaf Formoza, who was joined soon after by car designer Eyal Cremer, Physicist Udi Meridor, and Prof. Johann Tomforde, a former executive designer and an engineer at Daimler-Benz and a co-director of the Smart Car project.
The company’s headquarters and research & development are still located in Tel Aviv; however, City Transformer is a global organization with a truly global vision.
City Transformer is a unique auto-tech company: it designs, develops, and produces innovative foldable smart electric vehicles for big international cities. The automaker’s first product – the CT-1 – is a pioneering all-electric emissions-free microcar that dramatically reduces traffic chaos in metropolitan areas. ‘Mobility as a Service’ is the ethos that underpins City Transformer. It is this vision that will start the revolution in intelligent, clean, and efficient mobility – offering road users a new sense of sustainable freedom.
For more information: https://www.citytransformer.com/
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