Latest news with #ChrisAllington
Otago Daily Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
'Uber in the sky' demo on way in Queenstown
Christchurch company Whoosh will start building a 2km demo of its "Uber in the sky" transportation system in Queenstown's Remarkables Park within weeks. Whoosh chief executive Dr Chris Allington said it would begin operating as soon as the middle of next year, and more information would be released soon. "Within the next few weeks, we'll be cutting ribbons and starting to dig holes." He told an audience at the Electrify Queenstown trade show yesterday the on-demand system, which moves fully-electric, self-driving cabins around an elevated cable network, could solve the resort town's traffic congestion issues. The company unveiled a working prototype at its Christchurch base last September after six years of development. The demo system, which was being jointly funded by Whoosh and Remarkables Park Ltd, would have all its key features including cabins for four or five people, stations and an app. It would give residents the opportunity to experience it and provide feedback. "We'll then make it better, and hopefully we can work with the team and deliver something down here." The company had mapped out a 50-station network that linked the resort's town centre to Frankton and the eastern and southern suburbs. It already had projects under way in the United States and the first, in a 485ha park in the city of Irvine, California, was expected to be operating by the end of next year. It was also working on projects in Japan and the Middle East. Dr Allington said a Whoosh system had many advantages over a gondola system. It could disperse its users across a greater number of smaller stations, avoiding the queues likely at peak commuter times with a gondola system's fewer, larger stations. Its modular nature allowed it to be expanded as demand required. "You can form three-dimensional networks in your cities which fit in the existing urban spaces. "You're no longer stuck with straight lines and a limited number of stops." Whoosh was not the only mass transportation system being touted for Queenstown yesterday, which also featured a talk by Doppelmayr New Zealand chief executive Garreth Hayman. Doppelmayr NZ is working with tech entrepreneur Rod Drury and former Infrastructure Commission chief executive Ross Copland on a gondola system designed to move 3000 people an hour. The first stage, estimated to cost $250m, would run from the town centre up to a Queenstown Hill station, along to a Lake Johnson station, down to the Frankton bus hub, then on to the airport. Part of the Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago district councils' regional deal submission, the plan's backers hope to have it operating by late 2028. Dr Allington told the Otago Daily Times a gondola "solves one problem, but not every problem", and could co-exist with Whoosh. If a Whoosh system was wanted for Queenstown, his company would be "very happy" to build one. "If not, we've got plenty of projects to keep us busy."
Otago Daily Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Transport demo to take to skies
Christchurch company Whoosh will start building a 2km demo of its "Uber in the sky" transportation system in Queenstown's Remarkables Park within weeks. Whoosh chief executive Dr Chris Allington said it would begin operating as soon as the middle of next year, and more information would be released soon. "Within the next few weeks, we'll be cutting ribbons and starting to dig holes." He told an audience at the Electrify Queenstown trade show yesterday the on-demand system, which moves fully-electric, self-driving cabins around an elevated cable network, could solve the resort town's traffic congestion issues. The company unveiled a working prototype at its Christchurch base last September after six years of development. The demo system, which was being jointly funded by Whoosh and Remarkables Park Ltd, would have all its key features including cabins for four or five people, stations and an app. It would give residents the opportunity to experience it and provide feedback. "We'll then make it better, and hopefully we can work with the team and deliver something down here." The company had mapped out a 50-station network that linked the resort's town centre to Frankton and the eastern and southern suburbs. It already had projects under way in the United States and the first, in a 485ha park in the city of Irvine, California, was expected to be operating by the end of next year. It was also working on projects in Japan and the Middle East. Dr Allington said a Whoosh system had many advantages over a gondola system. It could disperse its users across a greater number of smaller stations, avoiding the queues likely at peak commuter times with a gondola system's fewer, larger stations. Its modular nature allowed it to be expanded as demand required. "You can form three-dimensional networks in your cities which fit in the existing urban spaces. "You're no longer stuck with straight lines and a limited number of stops." Whoosh was not the only mass transportation system being touted for Queenstown yesterday, which also featured a talk by Doppelmayr New Zealand chief executive Garreth Hayman. Doppelmayr NZ is working with tech entrepreneur Rod Drury and former Infrastructure Commission chief executive Ross Copland on a gondola system designed to move 3000 people an hour. The first stage, estimated to cost $250m, would run from the town centre up to a Queenstown Hill station, along to a Lake Johnson station, down to the Frankton bus hub, then on to the airport. Part of the Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago district councils' regional deal submission, the plan's backers hope to have it operating by late 2028. Dr Allington told the Otago Daily Times a gondola "solves one problem, but not every problem", and could co-exist with Whoosh. If a Whoosh system was wanted for Queenstown, his company would be "very happy" to build one. "If not, we've got plenty of projects to keep us busy."
RNZ News
27-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
'We want to get Queenstown moving again' - cable car companies target resort town
Whoosh as visualised on a central street in Queenstown. Photo: Supplied A cable car race is underway in Queenstown, as two different companies unveil their schemes to connect the resort town by high-wire. Whoosh and Southern Infrastructure Ltd have revealed blueprints of their proposed transport networks this week. Kiwi-owned Whoosh has been developing self-driving cabins to go on an elevated cable network , which riders would be able to book on an app. Whoosh_chief_executive_Chris_Allington. Photo: RNZ / Katie Todd Today at the Electrify Queenstown conference, Whoosh chief executive Chris Allington from the engineering firm Holmes Solutions revealed a map of where the six-part network could go. The network could link Frankton to Shotover Country to the Remarkables Ski Hill, but he said Whoosh was keen to adapt its plans to feedback from Queenstown locals. He said the first two kilometres or so - a pilot project around Remarkables Park - could be operational as soon as next year. "This isn't fiction, this isn't fake, this isn't an animation, this is actually coming. And it's coming fast," he told the crowd. Whoosh's vision for Queenstown. Photo: Supplied Work would begin this year, and it was just a matter of "dotting i's and crossing t's" and obtaining resource consent for the buildings, he said. Allington did not put a date on the wider network, besides saying Whoosh's modular design made it very quick to build. "It's not like we need to finish it all before any of it can open... it will just keep getting extended and keep rolling across in the direction, in the places, that Queenstown wants it to go," he said. So far, the network had a ballpark cost estimate of $250 million, he said. Whoosh was funded by shareholders and private equity from offshore, and Allington said he believed the price tag was achievable. "The funny thing is, it's actually easier to fund the big project than a small one, particularly stuff like this. It's clean, it's green, it's sustainable. There's lots of funding sources available for that," he said. But hot on Whoosh's heels was another initiative from Southern Infrastructure Ltd. Southern Infrastructure chief executive Ross Copland. Photo: RNZ / Katie Todd Chief executive Ross Copland described the company as less of an innovator, and more of a problem solver for the town's traffic woes. "We're not a supplier, so we don't have a particular technology. We're an infrastructure developer that's looking to solve a transport problem in Queenstown. We've looked really closely at all the options - our preference at this stage is a ropeway," he said. Southern Infrastructure planned to build an electric, high-speed urban gondola network around Queenstown, at a cost of about $200 million. It revealed a map of its planned network straddling seven stations, from Arthur's Point, to Queenstown central, to Ladies Mile, with stopoffs at Queenstown Airport and the Frankton bus hub. Queenstown Cable Car's indicative map. Photo: Supplied Copland said it was the sum of years of careful analysis of height limits, existing infrastructure, geotechnical stability and significant ecological areas. "It's almost a direct route into Queenstown, but importantly it bypasses a lot of those residential areas where the visual effects would be quite significant," he said. "We think it's a project that's consentable and also quite efficient." The project had backing from rich-lister Rod Drury, and support from one of the world's biggest ski lift companies, Doppelmayr. Copland admitted the company's goal of launching by the end of 2028 was "aggressive", but said the need was urgent. "There's a couple of different ways the project can be funded. We'd love to see it brought in as part of the public transport funding models so that people in the region, whether their visitors or locals, can have quite a seamless experience moving between bus, ferry and the cable. But that relies on a whole lot of decisions that are outside of our control, so local government central government will have a really key role in deciding," he said. "If that if that doesn't happen, then the funding model will be through, effectively, ticket prices, that will be paid by residents and visitors. The modelling we've done shows really strong growth and really strong uptake by passengers. So we think that under either of those scenarios, it's still a commercially viable project." Doppelmayr NZ chief executive Gareth Hayman. Photo: RNZ / Katie Todd Doppelmayr New Zealand chief executive Gareth Hayman hoped locals would see cable transit as a tried and tested option. "A gondola is not that scary at all. It's been, in use for the last 25 years within public transport networks. It's proven, it's tested, we understand what we need to do and we're here to make it happen," he said. Asked if Whoosh and Southern Infrastructure Ltd were competitors or allies, Allington said each was trying different methods to ease traffic congestion in Queenstown. "I think we're all trying to achieve the same thing. We want to get Queenstown moving again. We want to do that in a sustainable way," he said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Fox News
05-02-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
Are these autonomous transport pods the future of sky-high commuting?
Imagine gliding above city traffic in a sleek, autonomous pod, bypassing congested streets and reaching your destination in record time. This is the promise of Whoosh, an innovative urban transit system set to debut in 2026. Whoosh represents a paradigm shift in urban transportation, offering a solution that's as efficient as it is futuristic. Whoosh isn't your typical gondola or cable car system. While it may look similar at first glance, this clever Kiwi invention offers a unique blend of on-demand service, direct routing and privacy that sets it apart from traditional public transportation. Unlike fixed-route gondolas, Whoosh pods are equipped with their own motors and autonomous navigation systems. This allows them to freely traverse a complex network of cables and rails, choosing the most efficient path from one point to another without intermediate stops. The Whoosh system combines the best aspects of ride-sharing and public transport. Users can book a pod through an app, much like calling an Uber. The pod will be waiting at a nearby station, ready to whisk you away to your destination. These stations are designed with minimal footprint, fitting into a standard car park space and featuring a spiral ramp up to the network height of about 40 feet above the ground. Larger stations can be built at ground level, offering easy access for passengers. The network itself consists of tensioned cables spanning 500-985 feet, interspersed with shorter sections of steel rail for smooth turns and junctions. This design allows Whoosh to overcome geographical obstacles with ease, crossing rivers, highways or even connecting rooftops. Whoosh pods are expected to achieve an average speed of 25 mph across the network. While this may not sound impressive at first, the non-stop nature of the journey means it could be significantly faster than driving through congested urban areas. The system features remarkable efficiency, using less energy for a standard ride than a 10-minute shower. This is achieved through constant motion and low rolling resistance, making Whoosh about twice as efficient as a small electric car. Comfort hasn't been overlooked either. The pods can lean into corners, much like a motorcycle, providing a smooth ride even at higher speeds. The cable sections of the journey offer an especially pleasant "floating" sensation. Interestingly, Whoosh's journey began in the world of amusement parks. The team behind Whoosh, led by Chris Allington, initially developed the core technology for a zip line ride called the Switchback. This allowed them to prototype and test crucial elements of the system, such as the seamless transition between cables and rails and the eddy current braking system for controlling swing-out around corners. The world's first Whoosh transit system is slated to open in Queenstown, New Zealand, in 2026. This picturesque tourist destination, with its challenging geography and traffic issues, provides an ideal testing ground for the technology. Nestled between mountains and a lake, Queenstown suffers from limited road networks and significant traffic congestion, making it a perfect proving ground for Whoosh's innovative transportation solution. The pilot project will demonstrate the system's ability to navigate difficult terrain and provide efficient transit in a compact urban environment, with Chris Allington noting that the location is "small enough that it's actually solvable" while presenting unique geographical challenges. Whoosh combines the convenience of ride-sharing with the efficiency of public transit. Its modular design and relatively low infrastructure costs make it an attractive option for growing cities grappling with congestion and sustainability concerns. As we look towards a future of smarter, more connected cities, Whoosh offers a glimpse of what's possible when innovative thinking is applied to age-old urban challenges. The success of the Queenstown pilot could pave the way for similar systems worldwide, potentially revolutionizing how we move through urban spaces. Would you be willing to trade your car commute for a ride in a Whoosh pod? Let us know by writing us at For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Follow Kurt on his social channels: Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions: New from Kurt: Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
