Table of Contents

Points of Divergence : Transport and vehicles

This page deals primarily with PODs concerning vehicles in civilian use, land-based or water-based, unmotorised and motorised. For military vehicles and both civilian and military aircraft, please see their separate POD pages. For draught animals and beasts of burden, please see the agriculture PODs page.


Unmotorized land vehicles

What if the wheel had never been invented ? (1)

What if the wheel had never been invented ? (2)

How would the wheel change the Americas ?

Reindeer/caribou sled vs dog sled ?

WI: The Wheel brought to the Philippines before the Era of Exploration

Plausibility check: Earliest possible invention and mass production of bicycles ? (1)

Plausibility check: Earliest possible invention and mass production of bicycles ? (2)

WI: The bicycle developed earlier (1)

WI: The bicycle developed earlier (2)

WI: The bicycle developed earlier (3)

WI: The bicycle developed earlier (4)

WI: The bicycle developed earlier (5)

WI: The bicycle developed earlier (6)

WI: Four-wheeled bikes

Future bicyle developments (1)

Future bicyle developments (2)

ASB WI: 2012 Bicycles ISOT to 1880

ASB WI: The poorest people in the world each get their own cheap bicycle

ASB WI: ASB supplies bicycles to the Roman Empire

ASBs permanently replace all cars with bicycles

ASB-induced bicycle craze

Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them.


Motor vehicles

WI: Internal combustion engine never invented, but electric and steam engines still exist

WI: Steam cars in the 18th century

Survival of the Steamer Car

WI: Ethanol vehicles the norm from early on ?

Alternate automotive layout developments ?

Highway system in a larger USA

Challenge: The privately-owned car remains seen as a "Rich men's toy"

Is it possible for electric cars to become the standard ?

WI the Ford Model T was electric ?

Alternate Motor Car company names

More Successful Auto Companies

WI: American Auto Wank

Challenge: Greater trolley coach (trolleybus) use today in North America

Plausibility check: Triple Decker Buses ?

Challenge: A Canadian car company (with a POD between 1900 and 1960)

WI: No lead gasoline

No Volkswagen Beetle

Alternate VW Beetles ?

North American aerospace/defense companies making cars ?

Could Tucker Automotive succeed ?

ATL vehicle-manufacturing industries in a non-Sovietized Hungary

Škoda in an independent Czechoslovakia or Czech Republic post-WWII

Challenge: East Block communist cars that are "good"

WI: Microcars more common

Challenge: Motor vehicles powered by turbine engines more widespread (since the 1950s/1960s)

Alternate silhouette for cars in 1950s USA

Challenge: Successful Chevrolet Corvair

No British Leyland

Challenge: Studebaker Survives the 1960s

General Motors alternate history

DBWI: Gasoline cars still used ?

WI the MGA Twin Cam engine was successful ?

British Leyland survives and thrives ?

WI Ford and Chrysler had merged in the 1980s ?

Bain Capital buys Ford in 1987

SAAB Automobile AB not sold to General Motors in the 1980s - Outcomes ?

Could the MGB sports car have been kept in production until the introduction of the MG RV8 in the early 1990s ?

A "What-If" British Motor Industry Scenario

Better Ford management of passenger car and minivan production in the 1990s

Hybrid cars in the 90s ?

WI: ZEV Mandate followed

Challenge: Oldsmobile survives

Driverless cars

Discussion on possible future developments of motor vehicles

Future of public transit ?

Future of roads if asphalt becomes no longer economically viable ?

Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them.

For motorsport PODs, please see Points of Divergence : Motorsports.


Trains and railways

Roman semaphore lines and horse-drawn rail cars

Plausibility check: Trains with Stirling Engines ?

Loss of the 'Rocket'

Trans-Andean Railroad

Challenge: Ride the rails to New York to Buenos Aries

WI Brunel's 7ft gauge continues to coexist with standard gauge ?

Challenge: Adopt the Broad Gauge in the US

Challenge: Cape to Cairo Railway

Better African rail links

Challenge: Keep the London Underground the largest rail transit system in the world (with a POD after 1900)

Bagdadbahn finished in November 1913

Turbine locomotives succeed

WI German WWII 5 foot rails ?

Škoda in an independent Czechoslovakia or Czech Republic post-WWII

More surviving streetcar lines ?

Challenge: Prevent the Great American Streetcar Scandal

WI the Sydney tram network wasn't dismantled ?

WI: The ACE 3000 succeeds ?

Challenge: Metro Expo Line in LA underground

Nuclear-powered trains

WI no Beeching Axe ?

Future of public transit ?

Know of any PODs or POD discussions ? Feel free to add them.


Ships and other vessels


Aerial transport and delivery

Please see Points of Divergence : Aircraft.


See Also

Points of Divergence : Steam Engine

Points of Divergence : Engines

Points of Divergence : Economy and Trade

Points of Divergence : Agriculture

Transport Timelines

Useful Resources on Transportation Technology and Infrastructure


Scientific Discoveries and Inventions PODs Main Directory

Points of Divergence Main Directory