Are you outraged at companies charging you to cross the bridge they spent millions of dollars building? The nerve of them! The next time your trip from point A to point B involves a river crossing, just toss one of these $US10,000 inflatable car ferries in your trunk and save yourself a few bucks.
The Ferryboat, built by a Slovenia-based company called Hovercraft that doesn’t appear to make anything that hovers, weighs approximately 300kg when deflated. It might not be the best fit for a compact car, but utes, SUVs, and vans should have no problem accommodating it.
What you lose in passenger space and cargo capacity, though, you gain in the ability to cross large bodies of water without having to pay “the man” a single cent. You will have to pay Hovercraft anywhere between $US6800 to $US10,600 depending on the size of ferry you want, but in the very long run you’ll certainly end up saving money by avoid bridge tools.
The ferry takes about five minutes to inflate with an electric pump that can actually be solar-powered to help save you even more money. When fully assembled and inflated the Ferryboat can support loads of upwards of 5000kg, and it’s rigid enough to transport a medium-sized vehicle as long as the waters you’re crossing aren’t too choppy.
If this sounds like the perfect addition to your morning commute, you’ll have to wait until sometime next year for the first models to ship. Until then, you’re unfortunately at the mercy of exorbitant bridge and tunnel tolls.
[Hovercraft via Gizmag]