Personal rapid transit pods or just automated public golf carts

[jonovid]

is it Personal? or rapid? at 40kmh  a look at automated public pods.  has anyone ridden on one?
take a look at golf cart motor specifications, then note the top speed of a golf cart is 23.81 mph = 40kmh with a range of just 10km  same as a public pod car! 
is this more hype in the loop or serious public transport.  many claims of saving time & city traffic congestion, but is it true.
the point-to-point services has been compared to a taxi or a horizontal lift (elevator). you may need an elevator just to get to a pod from street level.   or seriously have the pod use an elevator.
I have re-posted this here as pod cars are related but not the same as self driving cars.  more in common with elevators or golf carts. 
I am seeking additional information on the type of transmission used in this type of vehicle.
so I can formulate the idea of adding Road–Rail capability to a Pod vehicle.
use of planetary gears in the hubs, matching the error in radius,
diameter of using two sets of wheels on the same hub. matching rail surface velocity with the rubber road tire velocity.
as the road and the rail tracks must be set at two different levels. for smooth transition between road surface & rail track.
 in addition there is the need for a rail safety zone.
so before the Pod car can deploy a robot railway pantograph. the Pod car's rubber road tires must be clear of the road surface,
and sitting entirely on the rails. using a road to rail transition ramp.
now with the pantograph deployed, and charging batteries on the move, the Pod car can push speeds topping 80kmh with a dual power motor. before returning to the slower 40kmh road guideways at the end of the rail line.
a transition ramp puts the pod car back on its rubber road tires. as it returns to running on the batteries.
2: I am researching the use of Pod Car lift or elevators to get from street level to the 2 floor level of a city. 
3: Pod car roadway turntable or rail tape wheelhouse as a way to save space inside a pod Station -
4: researching if elevator pod car 2 floor level guideway promenades in the sides of city buildings with vibration damping of a floating guideway decks. like a hole in the buildings for the pods guideways will work in a sci fi city. 

5: I am also researching Pod cars as a children's toy model idea or as a model line following robot toy that will work as a set of toy pods.

in the pod videos note the sound of the gears, & the type of batteries used.  note there are trying to keep the cost down.
3 videos

the Heathrow Pods  ultra global prt  UK
http://www.ultraglobalprt.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/PDF_Vehicle-features.pdf
shows the type of lead acid batteries used , but not the type of transmission setup used.
 A Ride on the Heathrow Pods    UK  see the big wire fence,  graffiti artists love slow moving white things.


Masdar City PRT Personal Rapid Transit   UAE    for the harem?


GATEway Project Self-Driving Shuttle Podcar  UK   

maybe setting magnets into the road can help?  but the range public roads is limited?