Well, ladies and gentlemen, the future is not longer the future. Instead, the future is now. That’s right: It’s the first road-straddling bus, and the look of it is enough to make you think that we’ve been transported into an episode of The Jetsons. Of course, this new invention comes from China, where they seem to figure out a lot of things first. It’s called the Transit Elevated Bus, or TEB, and it basically straddles both sides of the road while allowing passage for cars underneath. The whole thing is powered by electricity, and the massive bus can carry up to 300 passengers. It’s kind of an amazing idea: Create something that’s energy efficient, can transport people all at once, and won’t hold up traffic. We tip our hats to the people behind this one — even if that massive bus does look kind of terrifying. Learn more about the long-awaited TEB below.
*”The biggest advantage is that the bus will save lots of road space,” the project’s chief engineer, Song Youzhou, told state-media agency Xinhua earlier this year. “The TEB has the same functions as the subway, while its cost of construction is less than one fifth of the subway,”* said another engineer. Apparently, one TEB could replace 40 conventional buses. That’s a tremendous environmental impact — if they can get them on, or rather, over the roads. See it in action below.