Re:Zoox and Its $800M Robo Taxi Dream [video]
by Retric on Wednesday July 18, 2018 @03:16PM
(#17561276)
> Why can't a 2 person pod reach 40 Km/h and maintain 22m spacing between pods?
2 seconds at 40 Km/h is safer but that has other problems.
Remember, Pods don't have zero length they take up space which decreases the pods per hour. A 2 person 3 meter pod with 22 meter spacing at 40 Km/h = 2 * 40,000m / (3m + 22m) = 3,200 people per hour if they are all 100% full.
That's a long way from a subway's capacity unless you want to build 20 lanes per subway you are replacing. Going faster means more pods, but you also need to increase following distance. Slower is safer, but means trips take longer.
Sorry, I don't follow. Why can't a 2 person pod reach 40 Km/h and maintain 22m spacing between pods?
As for the number/price of the pods, the relevant metric is price per passenger. A Subway train costs about $10.000 per standing seat, with the bulk of costs going to infrastructure, not rolling stock. So with cheaper infrastructure and a $20.000 2 person pod, we are cost competitive with standing seats in a packed subway, at much higher passenger comfort.