China is testing a magnet-powered floating car that goes up to 143 miles per hour—take a look

If you've ever imagined a aboriginal filled with flying cars, your imagination mightiness beryllium getting somewhat person to reality.

Chinese researchers astatine Southwest Jiaotong University successful Chengdu, Sichuan province, performed roadworthy tests past week for modified rider cars that usage magnets to interval 35 millimeters supra a conductor rail, according to Chinese authorities quality bureau Xinhua.

The researchers outfitted the sedans with almighty magnets connected the conveyance floors, allowing them to levitate implicit a conductor obstruction astir 5 miles successful length. Eight cars successful full were tested, with 1 trial reaching speeds of astir 143 miles per hour, according to the report.

A video posted to Twitter by a Chinese writer shows the vehicles floating — albeit bumpily — on the track:

Xinhua says the tests were tally by authorities proscription authorities to survey information measures for high-speed driving. But Deng Zigang, 1 of the assemblage professors who developed the vehicles, told the authorities quality bureau that utilizing magnetic levitation for rider vehicles has the imaginable to trim vigor usage and summation the vehicles' range.

That could beryllium utile for the electrical conveyance industry's issues with "range anxiety," oregon erstwhile consumers fearfulness they won't beryllium capable to implicit a travel successful an electrical conveyance without moving retired of power.

Some commercialized trains person utilized magnetic levitation, oregon "maglev" — which involves electrifying a magnetic tract to propulsion oregon propulsion vehicles astatine precocious speeds — since the 1980s. China, Japan and South Korea each usage maglev trains today. Last year, China debuted a maglev slug bid successful Qingdao, Shandong province, past twelvemonth that tin scope a top velocity of 373 miles per hour.

Theoretically, maglev exertion allows for high-speed question without utilizing arsenic overmuch vigor arsenic accepted motor powerfulness owed to a deficiency of friction. The exertion has been projected for hyperloop projects from Elon Musk's The Boring Company and Richard Branson's Virgin Hyperloop One. Researchers person been exploring the imaginable for maglev cars for more than a decade, with Volkswagen designing a hover car conception successful 2012.

But imaginable information issues inactive request to beryllium worked out. For instance, what happens if a car traveling astatine precocious speeds floats disconnected its magnetic track, oregon is knocked disconnected people by a non-magnetic vehicle? There's besides the precise hard contented of infrastructure: Building a nationwide web of electromagnetic highways would apt instrumentality years and a monolithic nationalist concern successful immoderate country, notes the AutomoBlog.

The challenges mightiness beryllium worthy surmounting: An "age of magnetism" could revolutionize the vigor manufacture and assistance conflict clime change, according to a 2018 LinkedIn post by George Sassine, a vice president astatine New York's State Energy Research and Development Authority.

"While it sounds similar subject fiction, it mightiness precise good beryllium our regular beingness successful 50 years," helium wrote.

Sign up now: Get smarter astir your wealth and vocation with our play newsletter

Don't miss:

This Canadian institution wants to physique a train-plane 'hybrid' that tin spell 620 miles per hour

This $310,000 all-electric luxury RV has heated floors and Elon Musk's internet—take a look inside