Autonomous road-rail vehicle to revolutionize freight transport
Transporting goods over the first mile is expensive. A hybrid vehicle that can travel by road and rail is set to change this.
A GliderM transports freight on rails, but can also travel on the road (rendering).
(Image: Glīd Technologies)
The US start-up Glīd Technologies has received start-up funding of 3.1 million US dollars to realize its first transport system with the autonomous road-rail vehicle GliderM. The vehicle with hybrid drive is designed to transport freight in standard containers first by road and then by rail or vice versa. No conversion of the vehicle is necessary for this.
Bridging the first mile in the global supply chain is expensive. Glīd wants to tackle this problem with its autonomous vehicle GliderM, which can drive on the road like a car in traffic and on the rails like a train. The aim is to automate the handling of containers in ports, airports and other transhipment points, for example, and make the first mile of transport more cost-effective. The idea is to bring standard containers directly onto the rail network without the need for terminals, additional transport vehicles or lifting equipment.
Autonomous transport vehicle for road and rail
GliderM is an autonomous transport platform that is initially monitored by an operator in the vehicle during operation and can accommodate a standard container. According to Glīd's concept, the vehicle largely resembles a truck that can lift a container onto the loading area itself using a device. GliderM includes a hybrid drive, which is designed to be largely environmentally friendly using electricity and liquid gas. GliderM is also equipped with powered wheels for rail transportation. They can be extended as soon as the vehicle is over railroad tracks. The conventional wheels for the road and the entire vehicle including the container will presumably be raised pneumatically or by means of electric actuators.
To make this possible, however, drive-on points with rails embedded in the road must be created to enable the transition between road and rail transportation and vice versa.
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Glīd intends to start trial operations in the US state of California as early as the third quarter of 2025. A first, initially manned road-rail vehicle is to provide transport capacity in hybrid operation. The money of 3.1 million dollars raised by various investors under the leadership of Outlander Venture Capital is to be used for this purpose.
Glīd wants to earn money in the future with an entire fleet of its own GliderM. The transport capacities are then to be offered as part of a Mobility-as-a-Service.
(olb)
