TEV Project to present to US Department of Transportation

The two day workshop forms the second phase of a request for information to the EAR Program, which is surveying individuals or organisations conducting relevant research and development into Novel Surface Transportation Systems.

The TEV Project integrates the latest in enabling technologies to create a new transport infrastructure that consists of an electrically powered track, where electric and hybrid cars can travel for thousands of miles under computer control, without the need for charging. Electric cars and fleet will drive on a pre-fabricated, dedicated track under full automatic control. This will allow passengers to travel safely in vehicles at high speeds. This, in turn, will enable vastly greater passenger carrying capacities compared with traditional motorways.

Developed by open-source as a social enterprise, the TEV Project is the vision of Will Jones, a respected inventor, an expert in battery design and founder of Philadelphia Scientific, a world-leading provider of products and services for industrial batteries and electrical infrastructure, operating from North America, Europe, Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific.

The EAR Program is conducting an investigation on the current development and potential future development of new transportation systems in the U.S. In his initial call for information from EAR participants, programme manager David Kuehn said: “Novel transportation systems likely will develop or use more than one of the following: breakthrough technology, new vehicle types, new propulsion technology, new fueling sources, or new infrastructure. Rapid advances in enabling technologies – such as in communications, sensors, or computational capabilities – are showing promise in areas previously considered the realm of science-fiction."

Speaking ahead of the presentation, Caroline Jones Carrick, TEV Project co-ordinator, said: “I commend the Department of Transportation for its forward thinking in seeking to shape, direct and develop early solutions to the transportation problems facing countries all over the world. Infrastructure planning and policy must keep pace with innovation. This is an exciting opportunity for the TEV Project to share our revolutionary new transportation infrastructure, designed for the 21st century. We are proposing the roads of the future: safer, greener and more efficient. TEV can be implemented using existing technologies. The progressive thinking of FHWA and the EAR Program has already brought about significant changes in transportation. This current workshop to nurture and support novel surface transport systems can only benefit the industry, consumers and the environment in the years to come.”

The government has always played a critical role in influencing adoption of new modal technologies, and the EAR program aims to support this process. Recognising the growing challenges facing transport systems, the TEV Project offers a disruptive solution to address the impending crisis of congestion and capacity on the roads and highways. The TEV Project will present to an audience of United States Department of Transport staff, academics, private and public sector representatives and government representatives in early December at the FHWA Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, Virginia.