Masdar City testing all-electric autonomous pod cars

It appears that the "car-free" part of Masdar City's plan doesn't mean no cars whatsoever, just no gas-burning vehicles. We first wrote about Masdar back in 2007 and it's a "zero carbon, zero waste, car-free city" dream that has not died quite yet. The latest technology that might be employed there is an all-electric, driver-free pod car built by a Dutch company called To Get There. Green Tech Media got video of the car being tested (watch it after the jump).

So far, city planners have ordered a dozen pod cars – eight standard units, two VIP models and two that will move freight instead of people. The EVs can go up to 25 miles per hour and go around 37 miles on a charge. RFID chips and sensors keep the vehicles on the road and stop them from hitting people. To keep everything as carbon neutral as possible, the cars' batteries are charged from other batteries, which spend all day in the Abu Dhabi sun charging up. Wouldn't this be the perfect opportunity for Better Place to offer its services?

[Source: Green Tech Media, Masdar]

The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.