Amphibious Car Beats Urban Congestion

woodhouse writes "According to BBC News, a company in the UK have just tested a fully amphibious car on the Thames river. It can travel at up to 100 miles an hour on land, and its wheels fold up to allow it to speed across water at 30mph, propelled by a jet. The company responsible, Aquada, suggest it's a good way to avoid congestion."

Comments

Hmm

[rmohr02]

The concept for this car is pretty cool, but there's just something I like about riding in a converted WWII amphibious assault vehicle. They're for different markets, but I'd prefer the "Ducks" to this car.

pollution ?

[mirko]

The company responsible, Aquada, suggest it's a good way to avoid congestion.

Well, it is, if you can prove it won't pollute the waters.
BTW, I don't know how it is elsewhere, but in France, boats over a given cylinder volume require their pilot to hold a license.

Of Course

[Anonymous Coward]

This is until the Thames gets over-crowded.

If you get into a fender-bender on the water, does it sink?

At 150,000 pounds, it doesn't seem that unreasonable.

Fast? Not on the Thames.

[carndearg]

I cant deny that it's a really cool piece of kit and I hope the 150k price isnt so eye-watering that the company goes titsup before they've shifted a unit, but the idea of using it for high speed commuting on the Thames is a non starter.

I have run a boat on the Thames for some years now and like all other boats on that river it has to obey the speed limit, a stately 4.8 MPH.

One for the marina in Monaco methinks.

Unfortunate location for the press conference

[Anonymous Coward]

I saw this on the BBC news last night.
The funny thing was (which the presenter pointed out), was that the location they had used for showing off their new toy was in front of the Millenium Dome in London - a symbol of overspending development on something no one wants to use!
Saying that, it does act like quite a good speed boat on water. The wheels fold up and the bottom of the car is shaped like a hull, so it does look quite like an average speed boat (although a rather cheap looking one) and lift up out the water at speed.

Re:It's a convertible?

[CptLogic]

I used to own a speedboat and I checked the speed limits on the Thames with the PLA (Port of London Authority) and Environment Agency.

Now it works like this:

Upstream of Teddington Lock, the river is considered non-tidal and is the responsibility of the Environment Agency and has an 8 knot speed limit.

Below Teddington Lock it's the PLA who are the responsible Navigation Authority and they say: No speed limit.

Yes, I was surprised.

So, yes, I could drive this car to my nearest public slipway (In Woolwich), drive it into the river and bash the waves at 30mph, drive out at Richmond and drive the rest of the way to work.

Fantastic!

Made for Washington, DC

[TheSync]

DC traffic is horrible, and the slow rebuilding of the Wilson Bridge across the Potomac is making is even worse.

On the other hand, DC has many public marinas on the Potomac with boat ramps. There is one in Georgetown, one near National Airport, two in Alexandria, and a few in southern PG county.