SkyTran to trial maglev two-seater transport system in Israel

California-based skyTran has signed an agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to build a test version of its patented maglev transport network. 

The 500 meter-long demonstrator will begin operation late next year, and is designed to prove the system's potential for reducing road congestion by lifting passengers above the highway, into space that's not currently utilized.

The skyTran system is a network of computer-controlled, two-person vehicles that use maglev technology. Users will request one of the system's two-seater pods to the nearest available station using a smartphone app. Initially, the test vehicles will run at speeds of up to 43mph, with faster running possible in the future.

The test system will be installed on the grounds of IAI's corporate campus in Lod, Israel and will allow the technology to be evaluated. The firm plans to build a commercial version in the Israeli capital, Tel Aviv that could eventually reach 125 miles in length. The first phase is slated to open at the end of 2016, at a cost of $80m, with users to be charged around $5 per ride.

The company claims other locations that could get the transport system include Toulouse, France; Kerala, India; and the San Francisco Bay Area, California.

The system builds on existing app-driven transport services like Uber, and offers another interpretation of what future on-demand mobility may look like.

As with current rail-based public transport networks, the user is limited to the routes the system runs on, but SkyTran's on-demand service, competitive price and relative speed could offer another step towards increasing public acceptance of autonomous vehicles.

By Tom Phillips