Tel Aviv introduces "sky" public transportation system

Israel intends to introduce "sky" cars by 2016. If it proves successful, the prototype from Tel Aviv will serve as the basis for a bigger, commercial transit system.

California-based skyTran has teamed up with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to construct the world's first public pilot project for skyTran's elevated transit network. A 500-meter loop for these sky vehicles will be constructed on the company's grounds in Tel Aviv.

SkyTran is a rapid transit system in which lightweight two-person vehicles are suspended from elevated magnetic levitation tracks. The skyTran vehicles in the pilot will cruise at speeds of up to 70 km an hour.

As skyTran CEO Jerry Sanders explained, this system will allow vehicles to move at a speed of 240 km an hour in the commercial phase.

The company aims to make the commuter traffic revolutionary, safe, cost-efficient and environment-friendly.

If this prototype turns to be a success, Tel Aviv will get a network totaling 200 kilometers in length. After that, very similar networks can be expected in France, India and America, that is, San Francisco.

Not much power is required to maintain this entire system and start the pods. An initial burst of electricity sends each pod to 20 km/h, and it carries onward while gliding inside the track with the attachment levitating one centimeter above the rails.

Despite the fact it looks like something from sci-fi movies, this transit system was first proposed back in 1990. Unfortunately, it has not come to life anywhere yet.