> The Obayashi Corporation, one of Japan’s five big construction companies, last year published plans for a more robust space elevator carrying robotic cars pow

> The Obayashi Corporation, one of Japan’s five big construction companies, last year published plans for a more robust space elevator carrying robotic cars powered by maglev motors similar to those used on high speed rail lines. These would carry humans making the required tether strength greater. Their design would cost $100bn, with transport costs down to $50-100 a kilogram. That seems... incredibly cheap for a space elevator. Are they saying their design would cost $100bn total, or is that for the car only?