Hammonds Point
Electric Vehicle Transporter
The pmt electric vehicle transporter
The PMT Electric Vehicle Transporter (EVT) is the primary conveyance device used when an EV pod car is to be transported on an elevated guide-way. At its most fundamental level, it is an all-electric vehicle conveyer with two drive motors, two support wheels, a braking system, a navigation system and any number of sensors and devices used to keep track of its position within the system and in relationship to other EVTs.
Optimally designed for use on a monorail guideway, the Personal Mass Transit EVT utilizes a hydraulic locking mechanism in order to secure the EVT to the vehicle. Incorporating a passive support approach for its primary weight transfer to the guideway, the EVT has a total of four contact points for redundancy and reliability. Further, the included hydraulic clamp is used to ensure a solid connection between the vehicle being conveyed and the EVT.
The EVT vehicle locking mechanism is shown to the right with its hydraulic lock open and closed. While the lower receiver is capable of supporting the weight of the attached pod, the upper arm clamps down on the pod support for a robust connection.
While the EVT has but one purpose, to convey EV pods from one station to another, it is has as its secret weapon, the ability to be removed from the transit system entirely. Similar to traditional transit systems, like buses which are stored in large compounds, the EVT can also be stored while not in use. The difference with the EVT is its size and ability to store vertically like stacked plates. Pictured here are a number of storage silos where off-line EVTs would navigate to for storage. Gone is the need for large outdoor storage areas; silos can be cored out with a simple lift mechanism installed saving space and cost.
Utilizing an aluminum chassis, the EVT is small, light-weight and purely utilitarian. With redundant systems for propulsion, braking and navigation, it would be the workhorse of the automated guideways. Since one of the primary goals of a PMT system is flexibility, the EVT serves its purpose with simplicity and affordability. At scale, the EVT would be the lowest cost per unit component of a Personal Mass Transit system. With its ability to be stored off-line and stacked in silos it is perfectly suited to fill it role in a Personal Mass Transit system.
