Fix Auto San Jose

The TEV Project

Inventor Will Jones, believes he has devised a solution to fossil fuel dependence, air pollution and traffic gridlock by reimagining a kid's toy into a life-size model for use in the real world. We found this vehicle to be fascinating at  Fix Auto San Jose , so here is a brief description of this incredible vehicle and its capabilities.

Described as being like a slot car track for full-size vehicles, Jones, a battery design expert and founder and owner of Philadelphia Scientific, envisioned the Tracked Electric Vehicle, or TEV Project, which proponents think could be the fastest, safest and most versatile land transport system ever created.

TEV is a design for small, electrically powered highways for use by electric vehicles with autonomous driving capability, including private cars, public transportation, shared transportation and light freight. The electric roadways are designed for rubber-tired vehicles, but are called “tracks” because they use single lanes.

We won't likely see any of these roads immediately here in  San Jose ,  CA , but this definitely looks like the future.

EVs can travel on TEV’s electric highways at up to 120 miles per hour, and more safely than anything available on the roads today. The automatic control features on the TEV enables close-coupling, so there’s a much greater capacity for carrying passengers when compared to high-speed commuter trains. Since the vehicles are recharged as they travel, there is no limit to how far they can go without recharging. In addition, they burn no petroleum and produce zero emissions.

The design includes track-driven-only “single mode” vehicles, and “dual-mode” vehicles that can also be driven the regular way on traditional roads.

In the long term, all TEV vehicles will be pollution-free EVs. Private, public and commercial vehicles can all use TEV, but no large commercial trucks or buses are allowed on the system.

No new technological breakthroughs are required to make this a reality, since TEV uses existing technology, including vehicles with rubber tires and braking capability. Proponents say the project can be a profitable infrastructure investment, paid for by tolls.

TEV vehicles will be safer in several ways, including being able to stop in a shorter time than trains, because access to tracks would be restricted with side barriers. There are also no traffic lights, intersections, crossings, trees, ditches or shared lanes and there is no passing other vehicles –“ just calm, single lane automatic cruising," its creators report. At an estimated $2 million per mile, the TEV Project is no cheap fix, but even at that price it may be less expensive that other alternatives like high-speed rail.

“We have to do something,” Jones is quoted saying. “This isn’t just a ‘green’ thing, it’s an everyone thing.” So, get ready for the TEV Project or something close to it, because this is where we're headed now and in the future.

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Sources: eBay Motors, TEVProject.com and bbc.com