90-Foot Bus of the Day: the Fraunhofer IVI Auto Tram

Are you less likely to miss the bus if it's the size of three buses? Does a bus the length of a blue whale make traffic better or worse?

Dresden's Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure will soon be able to answer those questions. The Institute has unleashed the world's longest bus, the Fraunhofer IVI AutoTram Extra Grand. Like an insect, this beast is composed of three connected parts. Unlike an insect, the three parts are buses and the entire thing is a hundred feet long. It can haul over 250 passengers around town, as long the streets are wide enough (and the blocks long enough) to accommodate its lingering tail. Best of all, patented multiple axis steering ensure that the back of the bus perfectly follows the front, meaning driving the Extra Grand is no harder than driving your standard 35-footer.