Electric 'cars' will not have drivers

The electric ‘cars’ of the near future will not have drivers; the United Arab Emirates and Heathrow airport are the unlikely forerunners in personal rapid transit (PRT) technology – networks of automated ‘pod cars’ that offer on-demand, non-stop transport using small vehicles that run on specially-built tracks.

Heathrow airport aims to launch the world’s first commercial PRT system later this year, which will eventually comprise a fleet of 400 electric, four-seater pods serving outlying hotel airports and car parks.

Plans for Masdar City in Abu Dhabi include a ban on all private cars and network of automated electric pod cars. Masdar City plans to rely entirely on renewable energy a zero-carbon policy.

The company responsible for developing the Masdar scheme admits that the project will be expensive but that the service will offer a level of service unreachable by other forms of public transport.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “This idea combines the environmental advantages of public transport with the privacy and flexibility of car travel.”

“It has the potential to be highly efficient because it operates only when needed; in theory it could eliminate the need for cars and mass transit systems altogether.”

What is the ETA?

The ETA provides motorists and cyclists with green breakdown cover and insurance products.