Seoul Train

MASS TRANSIT

SOUTH KOREA'S Online Electric Vehicle looks a bit like a kiddie ride, and its first public demonstration took place at an amusement park near the capital, Seoul. But don't underestimate the OLEV: It's powerful enough to tow three city buses. Moreover, according to the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), it may revolutionize electric-vehicle transportation. Sucking power magnetically from grid-powered electric strips buried 12 inches below the roadbed, the train collects and distributes the power to either its motor or a battery. The system requires smaller batteries, recharges rapidly, and …