Trackless Trams: An Emerging Transformative Opportunity

Abstract

Trackless trams are a Chinese innovation that provide net zero opportunities, which are also transformative for cities. They have not yet been used outside China. They are battery-based vehicles with sensors that guide them down roads and have rail-like ride quality with potential to carry the equivalent of six lanes of traffic. This means they can enable net zero transformative potential for reducing car dependence while creating urban regeneration opportunities around stations, thus enabling other social and economic benefits for a city. The personal and research story is outlined of how urban leaders, developers and finance groups, are now discovering how trackless trams can be applied to their cities. Issues are being raised that need answers, but the immediate appeal of a new technology that can compete with cars and help provide a net zero transport solution is real. Significant steps forward in certifying this innovative vehicle are happening in 2023 and ongoing policy discussions are starting to resolve how best to demonstrate the technology so it becomes transformative. The opportunity is suggested to create a new model in cities on how to integrate such transit with urban regeneration in net zero corridors, using procurement with partnerships between private investment and public agencies.