Italy-based Leitner are developing the ConnX system, a hybrid cable car and autonomous vehicle solution, set to hit the mobility market in 2025.
From Superinnovators 26/06/24
Leitner, a company from South Tyrol, Italy, known for producing cable cars and ski lift systems since 1888, are pioneering an unexpected transportation solution.
Cable cars have a new application in the ConnX system, where the cable car cabin is transferred to an autonomous vehicle cart at the station, continuing its journey independently.
This system, which has been in development since at least 2021, is slated for market release in 2025, although specific details on the first deployment remain undisclosed.
Leitner are positioning ConnX as a last-mile urban mobility solution, emphasising its ability to overcome topographical or structural obstacles in cities with minimal infrastructure.
The company highlights the advantages of cable cars, including short construction periods, low investment and operating costs, and reliable journey times compared to bridges or tunnels.
What’s more, the ConnX solution significantly reduces noise and carbon emissions, enhancing the urban environment by reducing visual interference in the cityscape.
One of the system’s key benefits is efficiency: passengers do not need to change modes of transport, thus reducing travel times and improving accessibility, particularly for those with disabilities.
Interchanging is often cited as a major pain point in transport systems, and ConnX addresses this by enabling a seamless transition.
The cable car motors and driverless modules are electric, powered through batteries or an overhead pantograph system.
And the system is capable of covering 12 meters per second at a speed of 43 km/h across both modes.
Currently, Leitner, in collaboration with Slovenian propulsion experts Elaphe, are intensively testing the hybrid approach in a test lab in Sterzing, Italy.
Two cabins and two vehicles are in operation at the site, circulating in coordination and undergoing various safety and process optimisations.
While the driverless vehicles use a guideway at the test lab, new footage released this week shows the autonomous vehicle driving freely on empty roads.
This patented system, speaks to a multi-modal, seamless transport solution where passengers stay in a cabin that can be transferred between all modes of transport, such as road vehicles, trains, flying cars and ferries.
Achieving this wider vision would require standardisation of transporter carts and cabins – no easy task.
Yet, if Leitner successfully deploys ConnX, it could start to unlock a path.
More info
https://www.leitner.com/en/company/news/detail/connx-the-future-of-urban-mobility-from-leitner
