How do you get the track built?
The track will be built privately with some help from government acquiring the right-of-way (it could be built next to existing highways or above railroad tracks). While the cost of the track is expensive it can be profitably paid for by charging a toll. The economic benefits of complete hands-free, congestion-free, high-speed travel about $18,000 per year for commuters in congested US cities. The toll to pay for the track is well below the benefits.
That benefit number sounds pretty high. Can you please explain?
It is based on 8 hours of commuting on the rail per week X 45 weeks X wage of $50/hour. That number would be lower for average wage drivers who are not commuters…assume 5 hours on the rail per week X 45 weeks X $27/hour=$6,075.
Where do you think it will be built?
Congested urban areas with above average incomes and more traffic are the best opportunities. It could be in New Delhi, a city of 28 million, where the traffic and pollution is insane. Or in Beijing where drivers avoid the highways between 3pm and 7pm because it does not move. Bangkok, Jakarta, Mexico City and a hundred major cities would be good choices. In the US opportunities include Riverside into LA, Southern Conneticut or northern NJ into NYC, Baltimore/Washingon DC, Chicago.
In developing countries around the world it will be a hundred years before they have adeqate widespread electric grids to support home charging of electric cars and trucks. Because the GoBFree track recharges the batteries, you don’t need to upgrade the entire electric grid. We can build the systems now. This is critical because 70% of global warming will be from developing counties by 2050.
How does this compare with Elon Musk’s efforts?
He understands the huge benefits of hands-free driving, avoiding congestion and the environmental imparative of electric transportation. That is why his Boring Company is digging tunnels, and he is so committed to Full Service Driving. We accomplish all those goals at much lower costs.
What happens if I am on the track and there is an emergency?
The track has entrance and exit ramps just like current highways. If it is a serious emergency you could direct your vehicle to go to the nearest police station or hospital.
This idea,dual-mode, has been discussed before, why is this different?
There are a number of reasons:
- Within the last few years, the world has decided that global warming needs to be reduced and yet the public is hesitating to adapt electric transportation. GoBFree solves the major problems of electric cars and trucks and adds other benefits.
- Most previous dual-mode efforts have been led by engineers who have analyzed the costs side, which are significant, and not looked at quantifying the benefits side, which is much higher.With benefits of over $1.20 per mile when including wasted driver time, a toll of 40 cents per mile is reasonable. The toll solves the #1 problem with the technology, cost of building the track.
- Efforts by Elon Musk, Cruise, and Waymo have helped the public understand the benefits of full self driving. Additionally, traffic congestion is getting worse. It is now easier to appreciate GoBFree’s hands-free, high speed, congestion free travel and put a number on those benefits.
It is an ambitious project, how do you move forward?
We have taken a number of steps to de-risk the project. We do not want to build the cars, just the track attachment device that goes into the roof of modified existing cars. Once we are sure they are risk-free, we will build the first project in one major city somewhere in the world. A 50-mile long four parallel track system is around $1.5 B. Financial break-even is achievable by attracting only a small portion of daily commuters. If that is successful then we expand the technology to other cities.
How are you going to make the vehicles inexpensive?
The GoBFree cars are expensive to make, especially with the roof attachment device, but the price to consumers could be low. Many years ago the President of the Sierra Club proposed using the low energy costs of electric cars to subsidize the purchase price. The energy use of GoBFree cars is under 1.5 cents per mile (Running a lightweight electric car with hard wheels on a hard track is probably the most energy efficient form of personal transportation ever invented.) If we charge a toll of 30 to 40 cents a mile we can use the difference to build the track and subsidize the price of the cars to consumers. We also plan to qualify GoBFree vehicles for federal and state tax credits. Our goal would be a price of under $15,000 for the car.