Microcars, the solution to motorway congestion

http://projectmicrocar.co.nz

Microcars, the solution to motorway congestion

A recent traffic index report released by Tom Tom has shown worsening traffic congestion in New Zealand with Auckland ranking 15th out of a 169 cities across the globe.

Founder Toa Greening of Project Microcar comments on the report “This demonstrates that traffic congestion is the result of population growth exceeding the amount funding and time to build new infrastructure. What is needed is a revolutionary way to solve traffic congestion with minimal funds and time."

Project Microcar proposes to solve traffic congestion by deploying a large fleet of leased Narrow track electric Microcars which will essentially unlock the additional capacity of our existing roads. Narrow track electric Microcars are the same width as a standard motorcycle, therefore just like a motorcycle they can be driven two to a lane in staggered formation which doubles the capacity of the road. Belgium studies on transport modal shifts to motorcycles provided the background data to calculate that 15,000 or a 25% shift of normal sized cars to Narrow track electric Microcars was required to remove congestion from Auckland’s central motorway section.

Project Microcar has investigated several Narrow track electric Microcars. The Tango T600 which is manufactured by US based Commuter Cars was the best fit. The T600 can seat two tall (6'6'') passengers, provides double reinforced side/front impact bars, roll cage, NASCAR 4 point seats, ballasted low centre of gravity and can accelerate to 100kph in an astounding 4 seconds. This is one of the safest and fastest vehicles commercially available. While the T600 is over $180K and produced in low volume, Commuter Cars are working upon a mass produced model that could be sold for $29K.

“The added capacity from the full deployment of Narrow track electric Microcars for peak time commuting could have traffic flowing on the Auckland motorway for the next 30 years” says Toa Greening. In the next 30 years motorway artificial intelligence and self driving vehicles will add at least another 100 years of motorway capacity as vehicles will be able to travel closer together at higher speeds under computer guidance systems.

“By deploying the technologies of the time we can solve congestion for the next 100 years” says Toa Greening.

NZTA are spending over $3B this year on transport infrastructure in Auckland alone and this new infrastructure will still not be enough to solve traffic congestion. The business model Project Microcar is proposing would solve traffic congestion in four years time and would cost less than $500M.

Toa Greening finishes by saying that “Project Microcar is the silver bullet to solve traffic congestion, all that is required is for New Zealand’s Major Transport Authorities to come on board with this world first project”

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