Arab Sheikh Pays $10 Million for World’s First Superbus

The Superbus looks more like a very long Lamborghini than a regular bus, but it’s able to transport 23 people over long distances at speeds of up to 250 km/h.


The world’s first superbus was developed at the Delft University of Technology, in Holland, under the supervision of professor Wobbo Ockels, who in 1985 became the first Dutch astronaut to travel in outer space. He thought trains were too slow for present day needs and also have the disadvantage of traveling only between stations, so he set out to build a super vehicle that could travel at lightning speeds and be eco-friendly at the same time. He and his team spent three years working on the Superbus, and the result is nothing short of impressive.

The Lamborghini-like Superbus is 49ft long (15 metres), 8ft wide (2.5 metres) and 5ft 5in high (1.65 meters), and was built using only lightweight materials like carbon fiber, aluminum, polycarbonate and fiberglass. It runs exclusively on electric batteries charged by solar power. The interior of the futuristic-looking vehicle offers the same luxurious features as high-end limousines and private jets. As you would expect, such a revolutionary invention can’t be cheap. It cost an Arab sheikh over $10 million to acquire the Superbus and fly it to the UAE with a jumbo jet, where it will be used to travel between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The hi-tech bus will travel the 75-mile distance between the two cities in under 30 minutes.


Within city space the Superbus will travel at normal speeds, but once it’s on the motorway it will switch to a dedicated concrete track parallel to the road and accelerate to 250 km/h.