Pod car in India

The Pod car used in personal rapid transit system has been designed by the UK-based firm ULTra.

ULTra-Fairwood, the joint venture which wants to introduce personal rapid transit (PRT) system in India, is in talks with infrastructure developers for partnership. It is also in talks with small car manufacturers to ensure local manufacturing of the pod car.
In a PRT system – small, driverless, battery powered vehicles with Central control system or pod cars – run on slender, special purpose tracks. The tracks (or guideways) can be on ground or elevated. The cars – with capacities of seating 4-6 people – provide on-demand transport.
ULTra (Urban light rapid transit) is a UK-based company, which owns this PRT technology, and has just concluded trials on its 4-km track at Heathrow airport (between Terminal 5 and parking).
The company is hopeful of getting its first projects off ground in Amritsar and Gurgaon; and is pursuing its case with State Governments of Punjab and Haryana. According to the project proposal, the Amritsar project is expected to cost about Rs 500 crore, while the Gurgaon project is expected to cost about Rs 5,000 crore.
In Amritsar, the company proposes to build 3.2 route km stretch with seven stations. In Gurgaon, it aims to build 105 km of route with 143 stations powered by about 3,000 vehicles.
“For users, the ticket pricing will be at a level lower than auto rickshaw fares, and higher than bus fares,” said Mr Ranbir Saran Das, Managing Director, Fairwood. Mr Das shared that the company is in talks with infrastructure developers and small car developers but declined to share details.
ULTra-Fairwood proposes to implement the project on a build operate transfer (BOT) basis, so that the State Governments do not have to make any financial investments. For this, apart from the right to operate the system for a long-term (30-35 year) period, it requires to get right of way from the State Government to make elevated guideways on which the pod cars can move. It also requires land for building stations.
On the company's fund raising plans, Mr Das said that the company is in talks with developers and financial investors, but the exact contours of financing will emerge only after there is further clarity on the concession terms being extended by the State Governments.
However, the challenge for State Governments would be to give out the project to ULTra-Fairwood through a bidding process.

Vehicle Overview

The ULTra Heathrow vehicle design.

The ULTra vehicle's modern design immediately conveys the feeling of travelling in an iconic “streamlined” mode of travel, with clean and subtle lines the result of extensive design and customer focus research. ATS began developing the ULTra system in 1995, and the design of the vehicles has progressed from initial concept, through prototyping and testing (the Cardiff Test Facility opened in 2001), to reach the sleek and high quality product supplied to BAA for the London Heathrow application.

Capacity

A standard ULTra vehicle is fitted with four contoured seats, with ample space for other items such as shopping, pushchairs and luggage (Total ~450kg). Other arrangements are possible, such as bench seating (selected by BAA for the Heathrow vehicles) which allows further flexibility in group sizing, such as five adults plus luggage, or two adults with four children. The vehicles can also easily accommodate bicycles and wheelchairs, and are designed to meet access requirements for both the UK (Disability Discrimination Act, DDA) and the US (Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA) - see the Accessibility page for further information.

An example of an ULTra vehicle interior; this option is fitted with four contoured seats, with room for shopping, pushchairs or luggage. The vehicles can also easily accommodate bicycles and wheelchairs.

The vehicle is designed to make the passenger feel safe, secure, and comfortable at all times.

Passenger Comfort & Security

The personal nature of the ULTra experience ensures that passengers feel safe and secure at all times: passengers have exclusive use of their vehicles and travel only with chosen companions - once a passenger journey starts the vehicles do not stop to pick up other passengers. In addition, the vehicle is continuously monitored by the control system during use - passengers may contact the system controller at any time, and the controller can talk to the passengers, see them via onboard CCTV, and respond to any concerns immediately.
Air-conditioning and heating systems provide passenger comfort during journeys, and can be adapted to suit the most extreme environments. The vehicle controls, lighting and information systems are designed to the latest standards to aid usability, with the option of in-vehicle media systems (e.g. music/video clips) to provide entertainment if desired.
For further details, please see the pages on the user benefits of the ULTra system.

An ULTra vehicle under construction.

Construction

ULTra vehicles are four wheeled with rubber pneumatic tyres, front-wheel steering and conventional damped spring suspension. They comprise an aluminium ladder frame chassis on which the majority of the vehicle propulsion and guidance equipment is mounted. Sitting on top of the chassis is an aluminium honeycomb floor. The above floor level is constructed of a steel frame and an ABS panel body that can be fitted with single side or double side electric doors.
See the Configuration & Features and Vehicle Specifications pages for more details.

Guidance and Power

Vehicles use a laser sensor system to guide the vehicles on the guideway and in the stations. Vehicles are currently lead acid battery powered to allow for rapid charging (up to 150amps) and to achieve recyclability. The vehicles are designed to be adaptable for future battery developments and for other power sources such as hydrogen fuel cells, ultracapacitors, and Tesla Motors-style lithium ion battery systems. Batteries are charged via electrical contacts at station berths, or at waiting points. ULTra vehicles have a very low energy usage of 0.15Kw h/vehicle km at 25mph.
See the Control Systems page for an operational overview of the ULTra control system.