The world’s first dual-mode vehicle, hit the road and rail in Japan, is expected to make its debut in the coming days, in the town of Kaiyo in Japan’s Tokushima province. While the automotive world is moving mostly to electric vehicles, we are now witnessing one of the more interesting innovations recently launched. The DMV-Dual Mode Vehicle looks like a minibus and travels on regular rubber tires on the road, but when it reaches the interchange, the steel wheels go down from the inside of the vehicle to the railroad tracks and actually turn it into a train car. The train wheels lift the front tires off the track, while the rear wheels stay down to propel the DMV onto the rail.
״The DMV can reach locals as a bus, and transport them to the train as wellAsa Coast Railway CEO Shigeki Miura told Reuters. “Especially in rural areas with an aging population, we expect this to be a very good form of public transport“. He added that he expects vehicles to help in these small towns, whose population is aging and shrinking, and local transportation companies are struggling to make a profit in these areas.
The DMV can carry up to 21 passengers, traveling at a maximum speed of 60 km / h on the railway tracks, and it can reach a maximum speed of about 100 km / h on public roads. The vehicle is powered by a diesel engine, which at this stage is a fairly small fleet of vehicles, which will operate along some of the shores of Shikoku Island in southern Japan, connecting a number of small towns, and even offering passengers attractive views of the day beach. Miura added that the project will encourage train fans from across Japan to visit and experience the unique tool.
Source: Inquirer