Israel to test world's first hover cars

[Himanshu Arora]

With the aim to revolutionize public transport, Israel is all set to build a network of elevated hover cars. SkyTran, a NASA Space Act company, will first build a 500m pilot loop on the campus of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in central Israel, followed by a commercial network in the city of Tel Aviv.

The rapid transit system will consist of lightweight two-person vehicles, suspended from elevated magnetic tracks. The vehicles will be fitted with a technology that would allow commuters to order the car via their smartphones. These cars would pick up passengers at specific locations and then transport them directly to their destination.

The test cars will have a maximum speed of 70 km/h (43 mph), but according to SkyTran, the commercial rollout is expected to offer much faster vehicles, potentially reaching speeds of up to 240 km/h.

The first components of the network will be pre-assembled at SkyTran's headquarters at the NASA Research Park in California, while the rest will be constructed locally. The pilot project is expected to be up and running by the end of the next year.

According to Joe Dignan, an independent smart city expert, the system represents a hybrid between existing infrastructure and autonomous vehicles.

"It will get the market in the mood for autonomous vehicles - it is not too scary, is cheaper than building out a train line and uses part of the urban landscape, 20 feet above ground, that isn't currently used", he said.

SkyTran is also planning similar projects in other countries, including India and the US, but those will depend on the success of the pilot in Israel.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/57224-israel-to-test-worlds-first-hover-cars.html

 

[wastedkill]

Worlds first hover cars you just its not the worlds first floating cat?

Seriously is it april 1st because if thats a car then I am a big black mexican female body builder with bright red eyes and a belly with a mouth and teeth....

I hope its april first because if not then looks like israel are getting beat by pigs in terms of intelligence.

 

[VitalyT]

So later on, a car falls on you - blame jews

 

[ThanosPAS]

So, what happens if there is a blackout?! Do they just fall?!

 

[davislane1]

Seriously is it april 1st because if thats a car then I am a big black mexican female body builder with bright red eyes and a belly with a mouth and teeth....

Given the nature of the modern world, the probability of that being true are seven times greater than walking out of a casino wealthier than when you walked in.

So, what happens if there is a blackout?! Do they just fall?!

Only on the people immediately below the vehicle.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Seems to me this system would likely benefit those in the city, commute between tall buildings more so than anyone else.

 

[Guest]

This gives new verbiage in the news "Today, Palestinian Militants shot down an Israeli car...."

 

[tonylukac]

Why don't they actually make hover craft so they don't have to spend a trillion dollars on road repair each year?

 

[Guest]

Why don't they actually make teleporters so they don't have to spend a trillion dollars on road repair each year?

 

[ET3D]

Seems to me this system would likely benefit those in the city, commute between tall buildings more so than anyone else.

I've read about it quite a while ago. It's supposed to be an alternative to in-city rail systems (trams, light rail, underground), and cost significantly less to set up and operate, while giving the passengers more privacy and less need to wait (just hop on a car and join the traffic). It will be interesting to see how this turns out in practice.

 

[TheDreams]

Why don't they actually make hover craft so they don't have to spend a trillion dollars on road repair each year?

Why don't they actually make teleporters so they don't have to spend a trillion dollars on road repair each year?

Seems legit.

 

[Bitvar]

This gives new verbiage in the news "Today, Palestinian Militants shot down an Israeli car...."

The irony here is so thick you'd need a knife to cut it. I do believe you have the roles reversed in your mind.

 

[cmbjive]

This gives new verbiage in the news "Today, Palestinian Militants shot down an Israeli car...."

The irony here is so thick you'd need a knife to cut it. I do believe you have the roles reversed in your mind.

I think the original author captured it perfectly.

On topic, I want the hoverboard from Back to the Future II. Can we get that next?

 

[Guest]

Fancy Ski Lift with no snow.

 

[captaincranky]

Suppose a person has a steel plate in their head, when they hit the "gas", will they fly out of the seat and stick to the track.....?

 

[Guest]

Yes, hopefully they've considered the optimal strength of the magnetic field as to not induce unwanted flux into mechanical body parts. Although, I think most stainless steel medical implants are of the non-ferromagnetic type. Interesting also, the smartphones that are used to summon the cars; will they be able to maintain functionality in a magnetically absorbed transportation pod? Hmm...