Isn magnetic levitation (MagLev) expensive?
Currently, the large-scale maglev systems that have been built use one of two different types of active levitation: Electromagnetic Suspension (EMS) or Electrodynamic Suspension (EDS). Both of these are quite expensive because of the weight of the trains and because the systems need to be supercooled to extreme temperatures. SkyTran uses a passive magnetic levitation design similar to Dr. Richard Post’s Inductrack from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. The design requires no electromagnets and no superconducting magnets, making it quite cheap by comparison. According to a feasibility study conducted by Booz-Allen and Hamilton, Inductrack “costs much less than other maglevs and has operation and maintenance expenses significantly lower than conventional rail.” Passive maglev allows SkyTran to be much more efficient and quiet and switch on and off the track much faster than if it had used tires. Just as important, it eliminates all of the maintenance that would be required to use
