It is totally fair that what they have shown isn't ready to change the world, but at least give them credit for thinking about those problems and having innovative solutions. Electric motors vastly reduce ventilation requirements, autonomous vehicles under the control of the central system make it possible to evacuate most riders rapidly in the event of an emergency without leaving the cars, and having small vehicles going straight to your destination means there can be many more stations, decreasing the traffic at each one. All of these are fundamentally new technologies that aren't part of traditional subways, and if they can get them all to work, it will be a system with new and novel capabilities.
