China bus concept looks sketchy

Is the bus of the future a scam? Maybe, maybe not. But multiple reports are now raising serious questions over the viability of the attention-getting Transit Elevated Bus in China. It conducted its first full-scale test last week in Qinhuangdao and that's where the trouble begins. Car News China reports the bus only traveled about 100 yards down a closed road – and it wasn't anywhere near real-world driving. It also apparently has a height problem and is only tall enough to accommodate some vehicles on China's roads. Larger vehicles, like trucks, would have issues.

Then there's the case of the money. The Shanghaiist, citing Chinese media, says backers of the project may have improperly crowdfunded the bus and may have misled investors. The project organizers have denied these claims. Meanwhile controversy has blown up over the mechanics of the bus itself. Car News China says it runs on rubber wheels through gutters – not rails. Interestingly, many of these claims aren't new and are apparent from looking at previous videos.

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