China Launches Futuristic Road-Straddling Bus

China has launched the world’s first bus that allows cars to drive underneath it.

The vehicle, named TEB-1, was demonstrated in Qinhuangdao, in northeastern Hebei Province, yesterday.

San Francisco Technology website TechCrunch observes that while the bus is not yet ready for mainstream daily use, “it’s pretty amazing to see China actually turn this thing into a reality.”

Gizmodo writes that “adding a fleet of these buses to a crowded city center would be hundreds of millions of dollars cheaper than introducing new subways or elevated trains to help ease congestion.”

State-run Xinhua reports that the Transit Elevated Bus (TEB-1) is 22 meters long, 7.8 meters wide and can carry 300 passengers, adding that it has attracted interest from governments in Brazil, France, India and Indonesia. Future versions are expected to be able to carry more than 1,000 people.

The concept was rated as one of Time magazine’s 50 Best Inventions of 2010.

https://twitter.com/XHNews

https://twitter.com/XHNews

https://twitter.com/XHNews

First Editor: Olivia Yang
Second Editor: J. Michael Cole