Masdar driverless cars
One aspect of Foster and Partners’ master plan for Masdar that I had not fully appreciated is that the city is built on a podium above a service level dedicated to transport and services. Private cars will be parked at the edge of the 6 km square city and residents will move around using PRT, ‘Personal Rapid Transit,’ driverless electric vehicles which can accommodate up to 4 passengers.
The Dutch-designed vehicles look like something out of the Jetsons. Available with standard fabric upholstery or a leather upgrade, the vehicles in the first phase will operate between two stops: the gateway to the city and the first completed buildings at MIST - Masdar Institute of Technology.
Previously, PRT has been used to move freight in a Russia port, but this is the first system designed for people. They are beautiful - let’s hope it works.
The first PRTs were completed just in time for the World Future Energy Summit and the one on display was one of the busiest stands in the exhibition.
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Filed under: Eco-projects, Sustainable products
Would have been more exciting to hear a teaser clip of the engine than this picture.