Whoosh^® combines the best parts of ride-hailing services with elements of the urban gondola industry and the efficiency of autonomous EVs to create an entirely new elevated transportation mode. Using the Whoosh App, riders can hail or pre-book an autonomous electric vehicle that speeds along elevated guideways to the nearest station for rider pick up. Once on board, riders are whisked away to their chosen location, gliding non-stop above the traffic below.

Whoosh vehicles use less than 50% energy when compared to road based EVs because they maintain a higher average occupancy and travel non-stop, reducing wasted energy from stopping, braking, or traffic jams. Whoosh enables trips that are more energy efficient, faster, and safer - providing a truly unique travel experience on a dedicated, elevated guideway.

Whoosh’s small footprint and lightweight guideway allow it to be installed in existing urban environments, along existing roads, or across difficult terrain without disrupting or impacting current travel options. The system has small station options that are convenient for riders to access. With no moving parts, the guideway is low cost, simple to install, and easy to modify - allowing Whoosh networks to be expanded as demand grows.

Global trials of on-demand micro-transit have been wildly popular, with riders enjoying the freedom provided. Unfortunately, most of these trials are proving to be unsustainable as the systems cannot be economically scaled as demand grows. Whoosh breaks this pattern with full autonomy, low energy costs, and minimal maintenance requirements - allowing the fractional cost of Whoosh to reduce as demand increases.

Whoosh originates from Christchurch, New Zealand-based Whoosh Hold LP collaborating with Delivery Partners Swyft Cities and Development Partners Holmes Solutions.

A Whoosh^® network may appear outwardly similar to traditional aerial gondolas, the kind you might encounter at ski resorts or tourist attractions. Although they may share similar visual characteristics, they are very distinct systems.

• GONDOLA: Traditional aerial gondolas have passenger cabins that are fixed to a moving cable. The cables are moved using large mechanical bull-wheels located in terminal stations and the moving cable then hauls the cabins along the system. WHOOSH: Whoosh^® uses autonomous electric vehicles that drive themselves freely across a guideway of static cable and rail. For Whoosh, the cables don’t move, they simply act as a path for the vehicle to travel along. The Whoosh vehicles drive themselves along the network, navigating to their chosen destination, providing more freedom and flexibility.

• GONDOLA: Traditional aerial gondolas travel along a set, largely straight line path. Because the gondola cables provide the movement of the fixed cabins, it is expensive and complicated for the system to achieve flexible layouts – such as turning corners or offering additional station options. Because of these limitations, standard gondolas typically only perform out and back style loops. WHOOSH: The Whoosh guideway can be formed into a full network with junctions, corners, intersections, and by-pass stations. Whoosh vehicles can choose their own path, navigating across the network to take passengers to their chosen destination.

• GONDOLA: Gondola cabins travel at fixed intervals, into and out of stations. The vehicles slow down in the stations but don’t typically stop, requiring riders to get into and out of the moving vehicles. WHOOSH: Whoosh^® vehicles park in a station waiting for riders. Once riders have boarded and settled, the vehicles are then ready to travel to the desired location and park before the riders exit. This allows Whoosh to be fully accessible to all riders and more convenient when travelling with extra cargo, such as strollers, luggage, or a bicycle.

• GONDOLA: Some traditional gondola systems have mid-stations that allow riders to enter or exit the ride. Where mid-stations are installed, riders typically are required to enter and exit at the station even if it is not a desired stop on their journey. WHOOSH: Whoosh^® networks can be installed with any number of stations. Vehicles can bypass the stations that riders don’t want to use, providing quicker and easier non-stop travel.

• GONDOLA: Gondola cabins are fixed to the cables and have no independent manoeuvrability options. WHOOSH: Whoosh^® vehicles are autonomous, selecting the shortest or fastest route across the elevated guideway to move passengers to their final destination without unnecessary stops. This includes mid-trip re-routing when necessary to ensure the journey is completed as efficiently and quickly as possible.

• GONDOLA: Traditional aerial gondolas have to move all of their vehicles along the cable, even during low demand times when a majority of those cabins are empty. This requires a large amount of energy per rider carried. WHOOSH: Whoosh^® vehicles only move on the network when they are needed, allowing for greater energy efficiency.

• GONDOLA: Breakdowns can cause the entire system to shut down, inconveniencing all riders. WHOOSH: All Whoosh^® vehicles move independently. In the event that a vehicle or station becomes inoperable, other vehicles can be re-routed and still proceed to their destination.

Traditional aerial gondola systems, sometimes referred to as cable cars, are among the safest forms of transport in the world. According to published data, riding a gondola is ten times safer than travelling by car, and is even safer than flying. Comparing the number of fatalities for every 100 million hours of travel, for every 25 fatalities from car accidents, and 16 from flying, there are only 2 from cable car accidents. According to the analysis, most cable car accidents were caused by passenger behaviour. For the past three decades, the number of deaths from aerial cable car accidents ranges between zero and three per year.

Whoosh^® has many of the same benefits of conventional gondolas - such as operating on an exclusive, dedicated pathway and being elevated above road-level hazards - but Whoosh also provides a number of additional safety features. Each cable span of the Whoosh network is an independent cable, thereby eliminating the potential of damage to one cable impacting the safety of the full system. Each Whoosh vehicle can travel independently of the others, allowing the vehicles to navigate around any potential hazards affecting the network. The Whoosh network uses merge and diverge features to eliminate the crossing of vehicle paths, thereby removing the potential for impacts or accidents at turns or junctions along the Whoosh guideway.

Whoosh^® is complementary to various modes of transportation, enhancing and extending existing successful transportation options. Whoosh can efficiently feed more riders to existing or future rail transit and bus transit hubs. It can also help make it easier for riders to connect from those transportation modes to surrounding neighbourhoods and communities.

Whoosh is also more cost-effective to build and operate than other transit modes, expanding transportation options with minimal impact at street-level. It provides a great alternative for locations with difficult terrain or a cumbersome urban landscape. A Whoosh network can be installed along an existing roading corridor without impacting the traffic flow below. It can span across existing highways or rivers without needing expensive bridges, and it can connect key locations not currently well serviced by existing roading networks.

Whoosh offers flexibility in the path that it follows and doesn’t rely on existing roading corridors. This allows new connections to be formed between key locations that are difficult to access via existing roads.

Roads and highways are becoming increasingly congested. Often there is no space to build additional roads and, where new construction is possible, it can be cost prohibitive, time intensive to install, and generally disruptive to existing road-based travel.

Whoosh^® enables added mobility while requiring very little space at street-level. It offers a cost-effective, efficient, convenient, and enjoyable way for people to move around an area. Whoosh helps free up valuable land currently used for activities such as parking, allowing properties to be reimagined and repurposed as more impactful public or commercial spaces.

Each Whoosh^® vehicle can fit five passengers. Vehicles are able to accommodate extra cargo such as bikes, strollers, or luggage. All Whoosh vehicles are ADA compliant, allowing easy access for mobility devices, such as a wheelchair.

Whoosh^® uses electric-powered vehicles to move independently across the network. Like many EVs, Whoosh vehicles are equipped with on-board batteries in protected housing environments. Because of the high energy efficiency of Whoosh vehicles, these batteries can be relatively small and can run longer and travel further on a single charge than most road-based EVs.

Speeds can vary based on network layout and topography, but generally Whoosh^® vehicles cruise at speeds of up to 30 mph (50 km/h). Road-based transport, likes cars and buses, need to slow down, stop, and speed up at traffic lights or intersections which reduces their average speeds. In contrast, each Whoosh journey is non-stop from origin to destination, allowing Whoosh vehicles to maintain higher sustained average speeds across their journey, making for quick point-to-point trips.

Whoosh^® vehicles travel across an elevated guideway of fixed rail and cable. Support structures, or towers, suspend the guideway at key points across the network. These structures are typically spaced approximately 500 feet (150 m) apart. The spacing of these structures varies based on the layout of a specific Whoosh network. For example, a network layout with a lower peak capacity demand may only require a support structure every 1,300 feet (400 m). By suspending the network with cable spans and small support structures, Whoosh requires a minimal footprint at the ground level of an installation location.

Support structures are approximately 30 feet (9m) above the ground. Heights may vary to accommodate safely traversing geographic obstacles or highways. Whoosh vehicles will typically operate 16.5 feet (5m) or higher above the ground, measuring from the base of a vehicle, to ensure safe vertical clearance of pedestrians, vehicles, as well as other obstacles.

Station and stop sizes vary based on capacity needs. Small stops can be minimal, comparable to a standard bus stop.

Whoosh is very flexible. It can be installed as a simple route providing convienient connections between two locations, or it can form extensive networks like the existing roading layouts. The system is designed to be both upgradeable and expandable, allowing it to be modified as demand increases over time.

Whoosh^® networks offer maximum flexibility and can be configured to match the needs of a specific location. Typical system capacity is between 3,000-4,500 passengers per hour per direction (pphpd), with greater capacity achievable from upgrades.

One advantage for Whoosh over other transportation systems is the ability to start small and expand a network as demand grows. A Whoosh network can be expanded with minimal disruption to existing ridership while leveraging early phase infrastructure investment.

Integration with your existing local transit app may be the easiest way to order a ride. If that’s not available, the Whoosh^® mobile app can be made available for your network. Depending on the implementation of the network, other means of using a Whoosh network may also be available – such as ticket vending machines, kiosks, or existing passes and apps.

Whoosh^® vehicles are equipped with climate control systems. These systems make sure the cabin of the Whoosh vehicle is properly heated or cooled to maintain a comfortable temperature for riders.

Whoosh^® vehicles, stations, and stops comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Aspects of the system design go beyond ADA requirements to offer expanded ease and accessibility.

Whoosh^® vehicles plan to accommodate the needs of those traveling with service animals. However, access for pets is determined by the owner / operator of a specific Whoosh network on a project by project basis.

Yes. Whoosh^® vehicles are designed to accommodate strollers and bicycles to enhance your ability to move easily around a location.

Whoosh^® vehicles are quiet, both for riders as well as those close by. Whoosh uses low friction cables and rubberised wheels to reduce noise from travel. Whoosh drive units use small electric motors, far smaller than those of a typical EV. Additionally, there are no moving parts on the guideway, further reducing the sources of potential noise.

Each Whoosh^® vehicle is powered by its own independent on-board batteries. As a result, an unexpected loss of external power to the network would not inhibit the ability of vehicles to complete any active journeys. This allows all vehicles to safely deliver passengers to their expected destinations, even during an external power outage. Additionally, because Whoosh vehicles have the ability to operate for long stretches between charges, network operators may allow the network to continue to run during an extended outage as defined by Whoosh network operating protocols.

The impact of a Whoosh^® network on a local power grid varies based on the passenger capacity demands of an individual Whoosh implementation as determined by the number of active vehicles needed to meet that demand. But, in general terms, Whoosh has minimal power needs.

To travel one mile, a Whoosh vehicle would use 0.33 kWh per person - for comparison that’s about the same as running a toaster oven for 30 minutes. The energy used by Whoosh vehicles comes from an on-board battery that can run the vehicle continuously for hours at a time covering the highest passenger capacity demand while gathering minimal “opportunity charges” when awaiting new passengers at stops or stations.

Demand on the grid from Whoosh only comes from the recharging of the individual Whoosh vehicles. Charging of the vehciles can be synchronised to reduce peak demands, with the maximum number of vehicles charging at one time being strictly controlled. Additionally, the majority of battery charging can be accomplished in off-peak energy demand periods, coordinated based on varying utility providers and time of year.

A key advantage of a Whoosh network over, say an electric bus fleet, is that that the total charging is split across each individual Whoosh vehicle - each having a lower individual demand - whose charging can be coordinated to "small amounts, often" and sequenced with other Whoosh vehicles. This is different to conventional EVs that typically use high power charging of “a large amount, infrequently”.

A key requirement for Whoosh^® is the ability to reliably handle variable environmental operating conditions. Throughout any meteorological extremes, Whoosh operation protocols are in place for close coordination with local authorities.

• EXTREME TEMPERTURES: Whoosh is built to be resilient and designed to perform optimally through an extreme temperature range of roughly 5 to 120°F (-15 to 50°C). Network modification considerations can be made for Whoosh implementations in areas which consistently fall outside the optimal range.

• HIGH WINDS: Whoosh is able to maintain operation in high winds, capable of handling continuous high wind conditions of up to 45 mph (72 km/h), with the primary reason for a temporary suspension of service being rider comfort. During periods forecasting extremely high wind events, operation can be suspended and cabins sheltered in structures either at stations or in a maintenance / storage facility to reduce the potential for damage.

• LIGHTNING: Design factors are in place for lightning mitigation, ensuring passenger safety across the network. The static guideway infrastructure can be continually bonded to allow for the infrastructure to conduct lightning strikes to ground. Passengers remain safe in lightning situations as cabins create a faraday cage, similar to automobiles. Cabins do not represent a pathway to ground for strikes to cables or towers and are less likely to be impacted.

• WINTER CONDITIONS: System design elements are in place for the mitigation of extreme winter conditions, such as ice.

All stations and vehicles are remotely monitored by a centralised control station to ensure passenger safety. Additionally, an operator call button is available within the vehicle along with communication systems. Coordination with local authorities is maintained for swift response times to any inappropriate or dangerous activity.

Whoosh^® implements a series of proprietary fault handling systems and procedures to mitigate varying levels of fault severity. Continuous monitoring and maintenance protocols mitigate most issues. Importantly, a fault event does not create a disruption in service for other vehicles and passengers on the network. Vehicles are automatically re-routed around any problem areas on the guideway to ensure smooth continued operation.

Low level faults still allow vehicles to reach the next available station or stop under their own power. A medium level fault, such as a complete loss of drive, requires an operator to use an additional vehicle to tow the inoperable vehicle to the nearest station. A high level fault, however unlikely, may require an operator to deploy in an additional vehicle to securely dock with the inoperable vehicle and safely transfer passengers from their vehicle using the onboard safety equipment before escorting passengers to the nearest station or stop. Any fault handling events, while inconvenient, account for minimal journey disruptions and adhere to applicable safety standards.

Whoosh^® is categorized by existing certification standards for transportation systems. Whoosh collaborates with Delivery Partners working across all appropriate federal, state, and local regulatory agencies to ensure the system meets all necessary certifications. Certification plans have been published in a peer-reviewed paper from the American Society of Civil Engineer’s Transportation & Development Institute in 2022. - https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/9780784484388.006