China tests Maglev technology for cars

A total of eight cars fitted with permanent magnets were tested on a 7.9 km stretch of the highway.

According to a media report, Chinese researchers from Southwest Jiaotong University are testing maglev vehicle technology, which allows cars to hover over the roads and reach incredibly high speeds.

In a recent test conducted by the researchers, a modified 2.8-tonne car hovered 35 mm over the road and ran on a highway in East China's Jiangsu Province. Reports stated that the car was installed with a permanent magnet array, while the road was laid with a good conductor rail, allowing it to levitate. A total of eight cars fitted with permanent magnets were tested on a 7.9 km stretch of the highway and are said to have reached a maximum speed of close to 230 km/h.

Deng Zigang, a professor at the university, stated that he hopes the technology will be able to help reduce energy consumption and increase the driving range of cars in the future.

Further, the tests are said to have been organised by the provincial transport authorities and aimed to study road design and safety measures for high-speed driving.

Source: South China Morning Post