On-demand mobility, ridesharing and electric vehicles may be the first things that come to mind when one thinks of smart transportation. In the past few years other forms of smart transportation have come to the forefront. The framework for smart transportation starts with the infrastructure. The infrastructure needs to be smart and connected. Below are three examples of smart transportation that will rely on one another for connected success.
Vehicles
When it comes it electric vehicles (EV) there are many benefits for the consumer. The electricity to charge the vehicle works out about a third of what it costs to put gas in the vehicle. The EV has a lot less moving parts than a conventional vehicle thus maintenance costs are lower. While Tesla is probably the first EV maker that comes to mind, for 2020 there are a wide range of EV’s available. Future EV makers include Byton and Amazon backed, Rivian.
Tunnels
Wonder man, Elon Musk, is at it again. This time Elon’s magic is putting on a show in Las Vegas. The CEO and lead designer for Tesla and SpaceX has moved into the tunnel space and he’s doing it in a big way. Elon, founder of The Boring Company, has created the first Tesla-powered underground people mover. Once completed, this one-of-a-kind transportation, will transport travelers from the Las Vegas Convention Center to the Wynn Las Vegas and the Resorts World Las Vegas. Travel time is expected to be less than two minutes. Check out Jay Leno driving Tesla’s Cybertruck through the Boring Company tunnel…it is worth the watch!
Roads
While our vehicles incorporate new technologies every year, the asphalt we drive on seems to stay the same. However, the following 3 smart technologies could be changing all that very soon.
Glow-in-the-dark roads are currently in real-world testing with 500 meters of highway N329 in the Netherlands. The glowing markers painted onto existing roadway surfaces use a photo-luminescent powder that absorbs and stores daylight. The strips glow for 8 hours after dark.
As electric cars become more common, the question of how to keep all those batteries charged is a growing concern. Electric priority lanes would serve as car chargers through long stretches of highway. These lanes would use embedded cables to generate magnetic fields that would charge electric vehicles while driving.
Take a walk down most freezer and refrigerated sections of stores and you most likely notice the motion sensor lighting to help reduce energy usage. This same high-tech connected lighting will pave the way for roads to reduce energy wastage. Interactive lighting on roadways activates via sensors, only turning on when traffic approaches. The lights dim once the car passes. This system is best suited for roads with less traffic that still require night visibility.
Flying cars and trips to the moon are in the works but we’ll have to wait a little longer for that day to arrive…thank goodness.