Volkswagen has shown interest in this technology, which is not surprising really. But then, NASA, which has always been attracted by futuristic things that seem alien to earth, has taken a keen interest in the technology in collaboration with Unimodal, the company which is responsible for inventing the SkyTran. Magnetic forces keep the vehicle slightly suspended over the tracks and guide the route of the train and trains are able to travel at speeds of over 150mph.Īll of us are. While trains do not zoom in mid air, there is a slight gap between the tracks and the train. Maglev technology is in contrast to hovercraft technology in which vehicles are cushioned on a bed of air.Magnetic forces are already in the fore and are being used to drive trains. Simple as it sounds, there is tremendous thought and precision required to make this happen.

Magnetic levitation, fondly called Maglev, is the method through which a vehicle is suspended in the air by using magnetic force to counter gravitational force which pulls the vehicle towards the ground. The question is how? What is Magnetic Levitation? If something can make cars fly, magnets can. Thanks to our good old magnetic force, this is considered to be one of the strongest forces on earth and the only force which is potent enough to defy gravity. Well, not for the nerds who spend their time pouring over spooky technologies and figuring out ways to make a car stay suspended in air. Soon, you might just be able to park your car right outside the window of your girlfriend’s fifth floor apartment and pick her up for a date – in the skies – how “heavenly” is that! VW crowd sourced China for ideas and got the Hover Car, but would a vehicle like that actually work? How long would it take people to get used to the idea of floating? The Hover Car definitely stretches the definition of “car,” and opens up a new range of possibilities and problems to overcome.Hovering cars might no longer be only an object of fantasy. Unlike most concept cars, all three People’s Car Project finalists are really just concepts. Other People’s Car Project entires include the Music Car, which changes its color based on the driver’s music choices, and the Smart Key, a smart phone that can also start a car and monitor important functions. “We are no longer just building cars for, but also with customers and at the same time initiating a national dialog which gives us a deep insight into the design preferences, needs and requirements of Chinese customers,” said Luca de Meo, VW director of marketing. The point of the People’s Car Project was to engage with Chinese customers. Without electromagnetic roads, the Hover Car is not technically feasible, and VW doesn’t really care. It was a way for the company (whose name means “people’s car” in German) to get back to its roots in what it describes as its most important market. Volkwagen launched the People’s Car Project to develop a new way to mobilize the population. Forward propulsion will probably come from an electric motor, since it would be hard to find a small enough jet engine. VW did not explain how the Hover Car will do anything besides hover. The Hover Car can also drive itself, since it will already be following a pre-determined path. Electromagnetism would repel the vehicle from the ground, presumably the same way a mag-lev train operates. In reality, the Hover Car would need electromagnetic strips embedded in the road to function. It could also turn on a dime, because it is dime-shaped. Because of the lack of friction, the Hover Car could be very energy-efficient. Right now, the hovering bubble car is powered by CGI, but, theoretically, thrusters on the back would provide forward motion. The Hover Car floats about a foot off the ground and seats two.

It was recently presented to the public at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show. The VW Hover Car is one of three concepts to come out of the People’s Car Project the German company company launched in China last year. Will the car of the future look anything like the car of today? According to Volkswagen, it could look like a floating doughnut.

Volkswagen hover car price