Quo Vadis PRT? Review, Update and Outlook of an Innovative Mobility Solution in the Context of a Changing Urban Mobility Paradigm
Sammanfattning: Urban mobility as we know it is changing. On the one hand, challenges persist ranging from climate change, increasing urbanization and demographic change. On the other hand, recent technological advances enable novel approaches to mobility altogether. This paper investigates Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) as one such innovative mobility form in the context of the changing urban mobility paradigm. Due to its small, automatized capsules and dedicated guideways, a new level of convenience and efficiency can be achieved at least conceptually, which makes it worth analyzing in more detail. Conceived already 1954, only recently has the concept been proven feasible by successful pilot systems. In this thesis, key advantages and limitations of PRT are summarized and an update of recent developments is given. By means of expert interviews, current drivers and hurdles for the commercial diffusion of the technology are identified and evaluated. Furthermore it is argued that, given the changes to mobility, a window of opportunity exists where the automotive industry might be interested in PRT. Thus potential interactions between the innovative technology and the automotive industry are discussed. It is concluded that with the most recent steps of evolution, PRT could now be a highly competitive form of transit if certain barriers – mostly of political and economic nature – are overcome. For this a champion is needed, which the automotive industry could provide. Thereby, a range of mutual benefits could be possible for both industries.
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