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Paris Is Testing a New Bubble-Shaped Water Taxi

By Associated Press

Sep 18, 2019

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Photo by AP Photo/Francois Mori

The eco-friendly bubble-shaped taxi dubbed “Seabubbles” is currently being tested on the Seine River.

The eco-friendly hydrofoil dubbed “Seabubbles” is still in early stages, but if approved, it could start operating in Paris as early as 2020.

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Paris is testing out a new form of travel: an eco-friendly bubble-shaped taxi that zips along the water up and down the Seine River. Organizers are holding test runs this week on the white, oval-shaped electric hydrofoil boats that resemble tiny space shuttles gliding past Paris monuments.

Photo by AP Photo/Francois Mori

Cofounder Anders Bringdal of Sweden stands onboard a SeaBubble by the Eiffel Tower during a test on the Seine.

They can fit four passengers, and if they get approved, can be ordered on an app like land taxis, shared bikes, or other forms of transport. Its designers hope to run the so-called Seabubbles commercially in Paris and other cities starting next year.

Photo by AP Photo/Francois Mori

A man steps into a hydrofoil SeaBubble boat during a September test in Paris.

Proponents see the vehicle as a new model for the fast-changing landscape of urban mobility. Its designers claim it makes “zero sound, zero waves, zero carbon dioxide.’’

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