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Advantages of JPods

Competitive Advantages

Better Physics: Vehicles hanging from overhead rails (wheels-up vs. wheels-down) apply better physics:

  • Remove the parasitic mass of the vehicle. Stop using energy to move a ton to move a person.
  • Remove the repetitive start-stops, repetitive applications of power by moving people and cargo non-stop from origin to destination.
  • Increased ride stability by using gravity and the mass of the payload hanging from the rail to add to the stability of the ride.
  • Separate the machine layer from the organic plane to preempt the causes of accidents by removing.
  • Increase bandwidth of having multiple rails without requiring additional real estate.
  • Parallel process all trips across all possible routes to mitigate congestion in cities.

Simplicity: JPods engineering, energy, and software systems reflect the decades of applying Just-In-Time and Six Sigma concepts to processes. JPods’ founder also founded the ASI portion of ASI-Datamyte that applies computers, sensors and mechanics to controlling manufacturing processes. JPods applies similar concepts to the mobility process.

System Patent: The Internet is a distributed collaborative computer network that moves data packets. JPods, Patent #6,810,817, issued in 2004, is for the use of distributed collaborative computer networks to move physical packets, the Physical-Internet®. Independent computer controlled vehicles, switches, station, etc… talk to each other, make decisions together and behave intelligently to move physical packets (PodCars) in a distributed collaborative network.

Management Track Record: A strong team leads the company with a track record in innovation in manufacturing, logistics, process controls, power generation and high tech companies.

Scalability: A combination of simplified technology, extensive technical experience, strong alliances, and determined leadership will achieve rapid deployment of the JPods networks. Within 3 years of building the first networks the period from survey to operating network should be less than 9 months. Daily completion of networks should be similar to that of the Transcontinental Railroads in the 1860’s of 3 to 10 miles per day per crew. We recommend reading the book Nothing Like It in the World.

Major Benefits of JPods System

Provides an Energy Self-reliant Transportation System & Reduces Oil Dependency:  JPods reduce the energy to travel a mile by 90%; moving a ton to move a person in start-stop highway traffic is incredibly wasteful. DOE estimates car travel at 32.6 passenger-miles per gallon, or 140 times less than the 476 ton-mile/gallon efficiency of freight railroads. Converting the highway cost of wasted energy and pollution into profits funds the network payback. Reducing energy requirements 90% enables solar collectors mounted over the rails to gather 42,000 vehicle-miles of power per mile of rail per day (collectors 4 meters wide using data from Pittsburgh, PA).

JPods was founded by an Infantry veteran in 1998 because of the observation that oil-wars since 1990 would continue so long as America was funding our enemies with oil-dollars. That has proved a correct forecast. American soldiers have bought America time to end our dependence on foreign oil with their lives for 25 years. This sacrifice has yet to be honored by the military, government, and people of the United States cutting our use of oil 45% to end our dependence on foreign oil and defunding our enemies. Deploying solar-powered mobility networks can make America energy self-reliant.

Increases Energy Efficiency:  JPods networks use about 90% less energy than vehicles using fossil fuels because:
– Ultra-light and ergonomically designed vehicles need less energy to move
– They travel non-stop, eliminating repetitive applications of power in start-stop traffic
– Their average travel speed is higher and peak speeds are lower than other modes of transportation; therefore, less energy is expended combating wind resistance

JPods design is estimated to utilize about 127 watt-hours per passenger mile versus 900Wh for trains, 1,033Wh for cars, and 1,246Wh for buses.

Creates Green Jobs: Millions of jobs were created after the Federal communications monopoly was declared unconstitutional in 1982 as a century of rotary telephones was displaced by radical innovation. The Federal transportation monopoly, highways, caused the loss of nearly half the freight railroads in the US (120,000 miles) by removing efficiency as a market force. Engineers, designers, manufacturers and contractors will be needed to deploy the JPods networks.

Low Operating Cost: JPods networks are expected to typically cost about $10M per mile to build.  By converting 90 cents of every dollar of cost for highway traffic into profits, networks pay for themselves. The low vehicle mass radically cuts operating and maintenance costs ($0.04 per mile vs. $0.56 per mile costs for cars). Per mile cost to build light rail are typically in excess of $40M.

Provides Economic Benefits: Increases disposable income by decreasing transportation costs for the general public, reduces government subsidies via financially self sustaining networks, and increases system revenues by potentially moving freight and waste as well as people.

Better Performance: Without repetitive start-stops, PRT provides a faster and more efficient transportation system with average speeds of 30 mph for JPods, as compared to 24 mph for cars, 18 mph for trains, and 8-12 mph for buses for similar service requirements.

Reduces Congestion:  The small real estate footprint, grade separation, rail stacking, separate and additional networks to existing infrastructure, and computerized route optimization minimize ground congestion issues.

Reduces Pollution: JPods PRT utilizes a solar renewable energy system that eliminates harmful CO2 emissions.  Rubber tires on concrete or steel rails, as well as low weight and speed produce less noise and vibration.

Increases Safety & Time Savings:  Existing networks have low injury rates primarily due to slower maximum speeds as well as one-directional movement and limited opportunity for collisions. Morgantown PRT has delivered 110 million injury-free and onsite emissions-free passenger miles.

Provides Flexible Transportation: PRT guideways can be laid out in a network or grid (as well as point to point), and there is more than one route connecting an origin and destination.  Therefore, service can be maintained when a single guideway is out of service.  Stations and guideways can be above ground and mitigate ground transportation issues.

Provides High Quality Service: Provides high quality on-demand, customized service comparable to chauffeured cars (at a fraction of the cost). A high level/frequency of service addresses variable and distributed demands with vehicle utilization tailored to real time demand. The system delivers service as-needed while maintaining service quality at reduced overall cost.

Increases the Value of Existing Transit Networks: PRT inexpensively connects the short gaps between existing transit infrastructure; connecting airports to trains, trains to buses, and many people to their ultimate destination. The Prime Law of Networks is that the value of the network increases exponentially based on the number of interconnected nodes.

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