uSky Transport tries to fix traffic problems with its new electrically powered pods with stylish interiors. The company is now testing these high-speed pods to see if they can be used as a common means of transportation.
Tests Are Now On-Going
The first tests using a network of driverless high-speed pods are ongoing in Sharjah, Dubai. The idea is to use the pods suspended on a steel rack to able to travel across busy urban cities.
Right now, the test track is only 400 meters as reported by CNN.
They officially opened the track in June It looks futuristic in its design on the outside with a simple white finish and a bullet design.
The interior is designed to feel and look like something you’d see in a first-class airline suite. It has mood lighting, floor-to-ceiling windows, and even lounge music. The pod itself has two padded armchairs coming with two foldable seats.
The tests so far have said that it can carry up to four passengers.
uSky plans to build a 2.4-kilometer line to test out higher speeds and deliver passenger and cargo pods that can be done in just one network. The company hopes to finalize its first commercial contract possibly by the end of the year.
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Potential for Urban Use
uSky Transport has said that a fully implemented city-wide network can support 10,000 passengers every hour. The pods themselves can travel at speeds up to 150 kph or 93mph. As the test is still ongoing, they were still not able to reach their top speed in the 400-meter track.
The primary objective of the company is to gradually free up roads and space on the ground so that the vacant space can be used for walkways, public spaces, greenery, and so on.
Oleg Zaretsky, uSky Transport’s CEO, said, “The ground level is completely over-saturated, and people are tired of traffic jams. People are tired of emissions.”
uSky has the numbers for cost amounting to $150 million for one kilometer of the subway, and the system itself costs $10 million. They say that using fewer materials for structure will reduce carbon emissions.
The company also has another project, but it is to transport large cargo containers weighing up to 48 tons with a top speed of 90 kph or 56 mph.
Sky Pods Offers Flexibility
Stephanie Haag, an associate partner in McKinsey & Company firm, says that Sky Pods are often compared to cable cars or monorails.
“In a cable car, you have one car and it always drives at the same speed … In sky pods, you can use many different cabins on that particular infrastructure,” Haag said.
Sky Pods are said to be tailored for either shorter trips or long-distance travel in urban areas. Haag also speaks of caution as that the system would require careful planning to avoid congestion, especially in a busy city-wide network.
Haag believes that it can be a widely accepted solution if the promise of better mobility and sustainability will increase over time. uSky pods could be potentially in operation by 2024.
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Written by Alec G.
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