Federation Ground Transportation

Note These are the known hovertrains and hovercars of the Federation. Some of these may be able to lift off, but they are definitely no "starships" so they are listed separately.

Aircar	General description This small shuttle is probably the 24th century equivalent of a car, designed for individual traffic on Earth, and perhaps not spaceworthy.	Known vehicles No name given
	Annotations The aircar is a new design and is visible in Boston in the two episodes PIC: "Remembrance" and PIC: "Maps and Legends", as well as in San Francisco in PIC: "The End is the Beginning", the latter set 15 years earlier in 2384.	Class specifications None available

Argo jeep

General description

This four-wheeled ground vehicle has three seats and is equipped with a phaser cannon.

Known vehicles

Argo

Annotations

The car from "Star Trek Nemesis" appears in this database as a one-time exception.
It is impractical that in a time of perfect antigrav technology Starfleet would use cars. Even in our present time the military is increasingly using solutions (like hovercraft) to overcome the limitations of wheels. Moreover, it is a clear continuity error, considering that Harry Kim did not even recognize a car when he saw one in VOY: "The 37's", but only guessed that it could be an early hovercar.
The name printed on the Jeep is Argo just like on the shuttle it belongs to. Yet, Picard said in "Star Trek Nemesis" that he was going to try out the Argo, and was obviously referring to the Jeep only.

Class specifications

Length: approx. 5m

Cambridge hovercar	General description Cambridge appears to have an hovercar transportation system similar to San Francisco.	Known vehicles No name given
	Annotations The vehicle, which seems to run on something like rails, may be part of a public transportation system or a private-owned hovercar. Harry mentioned hovercars in VOY: "The 37's". The Cambridge hovercar only appears in Q's future in TNG: "All Good Things", but it is not far-fetched to assume that it does or will really exist (although the city itself would look a lot better without all the skyscrapers).	Class specifications None available

Paris train system	General description Paris appears to have a train-like traffic system in the 24th century.	Known vehicles No name given
	Annotations The train as visible in DS9: "Paradise Lost" looks a lot like the French TGV to me. It may work like the San Francisco air tram and the Cambridge transportation system, but is quite obviously limited to hovering directly above the ground. Could this be a long-distance transportation system on old railway tracks or obsolete highways?	Class specifications None available

San Francisco air tram

General description

The air tram is a planetary system of transportation on Earth in the late 23rd century and still in the 24th century.
Gallery: Other Small Federation Vessels

Known vehicles

#3
#14

Annotations

The Air tram appears in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture". The air tram obviously relies heavily on anti-grav technology. The single vehicles are capable of hovering well above the surface. However, since the Golden Gate Bridge looks like it has a special thick plating as of 2271 (which will have been removed by the late 24th century), it seems likely that either the air tram or another transportation system use electromagnetic traveling fields for propulsion for most of the way, like the present-day Transrapid train.
VOY: "Non Sequitur" uses stock footage of the Golden Gate Bridge from TMP, including the air tram.

Class specifications

Length: approx. 13m

San Francisco tubes	General description San Francisco has a transportation system with trains running in tubes in 2372 and in the possible future of 2404.	Known vehicles No name given
	Annotations We could see the tubes of the transportation system in DS9: "Paradise Lost" and in VOY: "Endgame". It appears to be related to the Paris train system, rather than to the San Francisco air tram of the 23rd century, which we could see lift off.	Class specifications None available

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