Which future transportation mode would you bet on?

Abstract

The advent of the 21st century has brought many possible contenders for the satisfaction of future transportation needs into the arena, where transport system aficionados/as and hoi polloi can discuss their relative merits and place their bets on whichever one(s) they think will win out. Transportation is not a game where there is just one winner and all other contenders are “also rans” (and, moreover, it isn’t just for human beings). It is much more like horse racing, where the character and length of the course are the most important factors and the distances between the winner and 2nd and 3rd places may be wide or very close. Consequently, although in each type of race there will usually be a clear favourite, an “each way” bet could well prove profitable. This series of articles will consider future transportation in the air, on land and on water, in each case explaining the pros and cons of the various systems on offer, together with an overall evaluation of the market.