The world's first retractable electric car was launched this summer, with a body width of less than 1 meter

Recently, Israeli electric vehicle startup City Transformer announced that it will invest in the production of its compact CT-2 model in Western Europe by the end of 2024. According to the latest reports, the retractable electric car is expected to be available this summer.

The City Transformer's CT-2 model has a retractable design with a body width of just 97.5 cm and a top speed of 38.6 km/h in "City Mode", while the wheelbase will be extended to around 1.4 meters in "Performance Mode" and the top speed can be doubled to 90 km/h.

The CT-2 has been approved for use in the European Union and the United Kingdom. According to reports, this model can accommodate up to two people and can be used in logistics last-mile delivery or other commercial scenarios.

The CT-2 weighs 450kg, which is even more powerful than the battery of the Tesla Model 3, and in terms of range, the car can provide about 120 km to 180 km.

In terms of selling price, the price of the CT-2 is 16,000 euros before tax, which is about 125,000 yuan when converted into RMB. The CEO of City Transformer has previously said that he is lobbying the European Union to provide subsidies for small electric vehicles such as the CT-2, and perhaps at a more favorable price when it is officially launched.

In fact, before the CT-2, Rinspeed, a Swiss concept car manufacturing company, also launched a retractable car Presto. The car is a four-seater roadster with a length of about 3.7 meters and can be refueled by diesel or natural gas. When the car is retracted, the body will be shortened to 3 meters, and the shape of a two-seater sports car will be changed in seconds.

The emergence of retractable cars actually reflects the current situation that it is difficult for people to drive and park. Transformer's CEO has previously said that the current segment of small cars is disappearing because automakers are making more money on SUVs.