China is testing floating cars, better known as magnetic levitation. These nearly three-tonne vehicles, developed by scientists at Southwest Jiaotong University, can climb about 3.5 centimeters above the road. This technology could be one of the replacements for combustion engines.
In mid-2021, China was testing a prototype maglev train that could reach a speed of 600 km/h. Now is the time to test this technology in private vehicles.
The vehicle is a normal car that has been modified to be maglev technology (from the English magnetic levitation), in which a set of magnets has been installed. So that the vehicle could levitate, until the road where it would circulate, a conductor rail was installed.
The results of floating cars
The result was that the car rose about 3.5 centimeters above the road, but did not drive in a “controlled” fashion, but rather swung left and right along the route, and even the wheels stopped floating at times. . floor.
For Professor Deng Zigang, despite some flaws detected, the test was a resounding success and he commented that he will continue working on the development of cars with magnetic levitation technology.
Although we are still a long way from traveling in levitating cars, if technology advances, in the future vehicles will be able to travel even greater distances efficiently, reducing energy consumption. In fact, China considers maglev technology one of the candidates to replace combustion engines, along with passenger cars. hydrogen and electric ones.
The purpose of the tests, organized by the transport authorities of Jiangsu Province, was to study the road design and safety measures to be taken in case of high-speed driving with new propulsion technologies alternative to combustion engines.