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.
This four-wheeled ground vehicle has three seats and is equipped with
a phaser cannon.
Known vehicles
Argo
Annotations
The car 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 "Nemesis" that he was going
to try out the Argo, and was obviously referring to the Jeep only.
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).
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 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?
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.
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.