Posts Tagged: Chinese Tunnel Bus

12
Apr

2011

The Dutch Superbus

Because the Chinese Tunnel Bus™ is so 2010, it’s time to introduce our first best-bet nominee for insane bus-based transit technology of the year: The Dutch Superbus

You want to ride this NOW, don't you?

The Superbus is the brainchild of Netherlands astronaut and Delft University of Technology professor Wubbo Ockels, while the design itself was carried out by Dr. Antonia Terzi, an Italian aerodynamicist who cut her teeth crafting race cars for Formula 1 team BMW-Williams.

In other words: This is the vehicular love-child of a Dutch Astronaut and Italian Race Car Designer. How can this not be a good idea?

The electric-powered Superbus has capacity for 23 people and moves at a lightening-fast top speed of 250 km/hr. It also consumes as little energy as would a normal bus traveling at 100 km/hr.

As Mr. Ockels describes in the following video, the impetus for the idea was his belief “that trains are far too slow.” As you’ll see, he chose to debut his new vehicle to a pack of teenagers – a logical gambit given that the Superbus looks like the Batmobile.

ANY CHARACTER HERE



ANY CHARACTER HERE

And make no mistake, this is supposed to be the real-deal. The Superbus is meant to “revolutionize public transport” in “metropolitan areas that don’t want to invest a lot of money into a railway infrastructure for high speed trains.” Take a look:

ANY CHARACTER HERE

ANY CHARACTER HERE

In the coming days you’re likely to contemplate this technology far more than you responsibly should. And after such contemplation, there are likely only three conclusions you can come to:

First: It’s awesome and you want to ride it now.

Second: It’s pure High Concept Transit. That is, it’s not about what it is, it’s about what it could be. It’s about the discussion it creates more than the vehicle itself.

Third: It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever and is a waste of taxpayers’ time and money.

My gut says it’s a combination of all three.



Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.

11
Nov

2010

Chinese Tunnel Bus: A Prequel

We here at The Gondola Project love the Chinese Tunnel Bus™. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving.

So when this came along, we practically fell out of our seats:

Architect Craig Hodgetts' Chinese Tunnel Bus concept dating from a 1969 edition of New York Magazine. Image via Curbed LA.

Turns out the idea behind the bus was dreamt-up 40 years ago by American architect Craig Hodgetts. And while some of the particulars are different (Craig’s bus floated on a bed of air), the basic concept is virtually identical. According to Dakota Smith of Curbed LA, Mr. Hodgetts is “glad his old idea is getting exposure.”

An image from the original article in New York Magazine. Image via Curbed LA.

40 years later, it's still a death trap.

Read the original New York Magazine article via Google Books here.



Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.

28
Oct

2010

The Chinese Tunnel Bus: Coming to America?

The Chinese Tunnel Bus™: Stateside Bound?

We interrupt our daily gondola broadcast to bring you this special report:

According to Wired Magazine, the brainchild behind the Chinese Tunnel Bus™ already has plans to bring their awesomely entertaining and potentially homicidal transit system to the United States.

The group has already announced an American subsidiary called “U.S. Elevated High-Speed Bus (Group) and “is looking for manufacturers to build the vehicle and representatives to sell it . . . An ideal partner for (them) would be a RV, motor home, aircraft, train or bus manufacturer with production facilities in the U.S. who is looking to diversify.”

No word yet if Winnebago Industries is interested.



Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.