Automated Transit Networks in the World Today

Podcar transportation is not a new idea; the SMSSV team is only trying to bring it into the renewable energy era. There are a few ATN systems in place around the world already, but none of them draw from a sustainable power source. 

• The Urban Light Transit (ULTra) system has been in place at Heathrow Airport in London since 2011. These podcars are powered by an array of car batteries, which are charged traditionally from a grid source.
• The Suncheon Bay Personal Rapid Transit system was put in place in 2013; this emission free system is designed to protect the fragile nature of a popular tourist destination from pollution. It is, however, powered from an public electricity grid, and not exclusively with a renewable source.
• The oldest and only Personal Rapid Transit system in the United States is West Virginia University's Morgantown PRT.  This system was put in place in the early 1970s and shuttle students between the two campuses of the university. It does not draw from a renewable source and since it has aged considerably it tends to breakdown and require a lot of maintenance.

Although this list is not exhaustive, it does include the oldest and some of the newest ATNs throughout the world. The SMSSV project aims to exceed the specifications of these systems by being completely sustainable, both in energy consumption and in longevity.