A mass transit vehicle system for improving the efficiency and flexibility in developing scalable mass transit systems. The mass transit vehicle system includes a drive unit for providing locomotive force for the system and includes steerable front wheels for facilitating turning the system and a motor for generating said locomotive force, a passenger section for carrying a plurality of passengers which is couplable to said drive unit and includes at least two wheels for facilitating moving the passenger section with the drive unit, and a mating section for facilitating coupling of the passenger section to the drive unit and providing an environmental barrier such that an interior of the passenger section and an interior of the drive unit are in environmental communication, but are protected from an external environment.