NANJING – On a highway in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, a 2.8-ton car floats 35mm above the road and drives in a test of maglev vehicle technology.
The car was developed by Chengdu Southwest Jiaotong University and converted from traditional vehicles. A permanent magnet array was installed for levitating, and the road was paved with good conductor rails to allow the car to levitate.
Deng Zigang, a professor at the university, said that the future will focus on the development of maglev vehicles, hoping that the technology will help reduce energy consumption and increase the driving range of vehicles.
Another road test took place on the same day, this time at 200 kilometers per hour. Eight vehicles, including five new energy vehicles, were tested on a 7.9-kilometer highway with a top speed of nearly 230 kilometers per hour.
Organized by provincial transport authorities, the tests are designed to study road design and safety measures for high-speed travel.