Elon Musk is at it again. Next year the construction of an innovative, ultra-speed transportation system called Hyperloop will commence in central California. It is the world’s first supersonic overland transport system, with the ability to reach speeds up to 800 mph.
Like most other Musk-inspired creations, the Hyperloop concept seems like something straight out of the future.
“We feel now that we’re at a stage where questions are answered on a theoretical level so now we’re moving on to prototyping,” Dirk Ahlborn, CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), told IBTimes UK.
To begin, the first 5-mile stretch Hyperloop system will begin construction in 2016 in a brand-new sustainable community called Quay Valley, located between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
“This five-mile stretch will allow us to completely test the technology, from the boarding process to the safety procedures – really everything except top speed,” Ahlborn said.
Musk’s vision sees the Hyperloop as a 400-mile long network of above-ground tubes with very low air pressure inside them, which allows bus-sized capsules to travel through those tubes at near supersonic speeds (approaching 800 mph).
When built, the full-scale version of the vacuum transportation network will take passengers and freight at speeds of up to 760mph. The system is being deemed as a 1000% improvement on today’s transport.
“We will move people and cargo at speeds never thought possible. We will make the world smaller, cleaner and more efficient,” states HTT on their official website.
Beyond the US, dozens of other countries have expressed an interest in Hyperloop, including China and the United Arab Emirates. For Ahlborn, these countries offer the most hope for full-scale systems being implemented because, “if they decide to build something like Hyperloop, they just build it.”
Almost 200 engineers from NASA, Yahoo!, and Airbus are involved in the project realization. There is also a group of 25 students from University of California (UCLA) working on different issues including cost estimation, route planning, and capsule design.
This proposed transportation system is extraordinary, with a glowing potential to change the way the world commutes as we know it. Someone in New York could simply hop on and be in Miami in under 2 hours, or Los Angeles in just over 3 hours. Not to mention how much more affordable this type of transportation will likely be compared to flying. We are so excited about this! Stay tuned for more updates on the Hyperloop as things progress.
What are your thoughts on this new transportation concept? Share with us in the comment section below!
That map isn’t really efficient, they have routes that go completely past cities on they way then have routes heading back to those cities they pass. Doesn’t make sense.
It’s still a concept. I’m sure this is just an example of what it might look like.
The whole concept is absolutely absurd and belongs with 19th century science fiction. It’s a very dated, banal idea.
You such a pesimist. People like you said the same abou computers or the airplane from the wright brothers theories. Is all theory prototyping and if it works great if it doesnt then back to the drawing board. But everything is possible. Think outside the box…
Shut-up you, dream killers!
Josia Moss, yes hypeloop has a couple of serious limitations: 1) no ‘switch’ or ‘interchange’ has been disclosed, and 2) battery powered (limiting range). So without the critical elements of networking and longer distances defined we must assume that all trips will be between city pairs from 100 to 600 miles apart. In fact the map indicates that double coverage is shown in some routes. Is this a result of the 2 limitations? ET3 is not limited in this way, and ET3 can be ‘networked’ like freeways.
Excellent idea way to go!
From what I’ve read this thing is run by magnetism, what say?
From what I’ve read this thing is run by magnetism. What do we know about this type of propulsion?
google rail gun, same idea.
The Japanese have been working on the Maglev system since the 1960’s. They finally perfected it around 2010 and in 2013 offered the MagLev system to Obama.
Brian, the hypeloop disclosure indicates the vehicles are not magnetically suspended (not maglev), but use an ‘air bearing’ instead. An electric motor in the hypeloop vehicle is required to compress the near vacuum air in the tubes (electric motors use magnetic fields to spin the motor). Also, the hypeloop alpha paper also indicates that linear electric motors (LEMs) will be used to get the vehicles up to speed with use of magnetic fields. Also magnetism is usually required to produce electric current. So yes hypeloop is “run by magnetism”, both directly and indirectly. And hypeloop also has many other complications added such as: huge batteries that weight many tons; turbo-compressors; and massive heat-sinks to carry the massive amounts of waste heat generated in the hypeloop vehicle. Like hypeloop, ET3 uses LEMs for acceleration. But by contrast ET3 uses permanent magnet / superconductor (HTS) magnetic levitation directly for virtually friction free suspension without requiring massive batteries, electric motors, turbo-compressors, and huge heat-sinks.
Dream come true!
This technology, althought seemingly impressive, is still very, very, primative considering we have known about quantum mechanics, electromagnetic gravitic cancellation, teleportation and bending space/time.
This is just another way for the “powers-that-should-no-longer-be”, to continue controlling the destiny and evolution of human bengs, who are still acting like their slaves. It’s like GM or FORD coming out with their latest and greatest vehicle that still uses gas and oil.
Humanity needs to wake up and realize that technology is mimmicking our latent, natural abilities once we Humans are awakened fully.
I agree we are capable of so much more with the knowledge gained from advanced sciences in free energy propulsion and reverse engineering that our government has had in black budget projects that we the people have been paying for for decades. It’s long past due that we reap those benefits to change our paradigm which should also help stabilize the planet. This drawn out reliance on fossil fuels is a sham.
you do realise that the hyper loop is planned as totally renewable powered right. this is the opposite of government or big business controlling people. this makes it so fuel or energy is controlled by the sun and the wind, something people cant control or exploit. as for fully awakened humans, no matter how awake you feel, you cant travel at 800mph or even much more than 20 or so mph, depending on your level of physical fitness.
I know more than enough about pressurized pipe systems to know this is flat out not possible, tell me, how would they dissipate the g force, they couldn’t, Impossible to vacuum that much volume, simply impractical, it would take a Hiroshima to depressurize ten miles at that circumference of pipe, you’d rip a hole in space time for the whole system, solar panels will never be able to put out that level of energy. Lord if you could imagine the countless reasons this is impossible, without the certain basis of technology we threw away from actual Nikola Tesla, just cause this guy uses Tesla’s name as a gimmick (deplorable) means nothing, Tesla wanted world wide free endless energy to simply better humanity and this guy produces the most expensively vain devices in all of humanity.
better do your howmework
Musk is rarely off base, as you are describing him to be. His ideas are very much ahead of their time. His new residential battery for home use is one of the best ideas ever for energy conservation and cost savings. The fact that he can put entire systems together (solar systems, residential battery, Tesla auto) is an amazing thing. Plus, he wants to SAVE people money and clean up the planet at the same time and by all accounts, his innovations are doing just this. I am from a family of profs, docs and scientists and they don’t share your opinions.
teleportation? Bending space/time? You reading the same story as me?
Can’t wait for this to be build and hop on it one day!
The Hyperloop indeed reflects a genuine “paradigm shift” in high speed transportation. It’s an idea that one would think our Governor would embrace instead of high speed rail. The latter being a VERY antiquated, expensive to build, and energy consuming paradigm. The use of elevated towers that can be adjusted in height will take care of fluctuations in grade and eliminate expensive right of way acquisition litigation and costs. It is a wonder that Governor Brown has not been at the forefront of popularizing this.
Tesla would be more like scape goat to Hyperloop direction.
Yes, the routes need refined with a few more N/S connections….but the potential of this solar powered magnetic transport system, is significant!!!
Evacuated Tube Transport Technology or ET3 came up with the idea first. They have a patent for it as well.
http://www.et3.com/
They are actually being more ambitious in a way. They would use low pressure in the tubes rather than complete vacuum and use a compressor to make a cushion of air to keep them up.
Jonny, you are correct that it is “more ambitious” to do something that is more difficult, and it is true that hypeloop is much more difficult than ET3. There is no such thing as a “complete vacuum”. Musk is proposing a 99% to 99.9% vacuum for hypeloop. ET3 experts have shown that a 99.9999% to 99.99999% vacuum is the likely optimum that will result in the greatest transportation value. The problem for hypeloop is that EVERY vehicle MUST continuously compress about half of the air in the tube to a very high pressure ratio just to operate the air bearing (and provide cabin pressure) this will take about 7 horsepower continuously per passenger of capacity. ET3 on the other-hand must only pump a couple of liters of air (to the 1000 times higher pressure ratio) out of the undisplaced airlock volume per capsule trip, this will take less than 1 horsepower for less than 30 seconds per passenger per trip. So, hypeloop compressors will take over 100 times more energy per passenger than for ET3 to maintain the much higher quality vacuum.
Without commenting on its technological characteristics, the potential (if there is on) for such as system is as an alternative to long distance air travel, not for daily commuting trips. It’s easy to speculate, but reality requires a positive benefit/cost ratio.
Without commenting on the feasibility of the technology, the potential demand for such a system will be as a substitute for medium to long distance air and conventional train travel, not for daily commuter trips.
what makes you think you couldnt use this for both? as mentioned in the article, the only thing that a small loop cant test about the system is top speed. if i could go to work at 200mph its still 5 times faster than right now, and no need to burn anything to do it.
Robert Cotgrove, you are correct that hypeloop is limited to 200 mile to 600 mile trips where it is too far to drive, but not far enough to fly. This is also the sweet spot for ET3, however since ET3 operates much more like cars on a freeway, it can also meet many commuter needs (just as freeways do). Also, ET3 is not constrained by battery capacity as hypeloop is, so ET3 routes can also operate up to several thousand miles as the network grows internationally. You also make a very valid point about benefit cost ratio (value) as being necessary to produce favorable ROI to attract investment. The primary objective of ET3 is to maximize transportation value.
Hello everyone. Have you heard of the Maglev Train, called Transrapid? It’s been out there for a while, Germans developed it but unfortunately it was politically dismissed, so Germans can’t have it.
I wonder what happens, if sth. like this is run and developed by private interests ( i.e. by Mr Musk) vs. by the governments.
And why were the Germans not allowed to invest in this big time opportunity and push their economy – but this guy somehow is?
Hmm. This technology is really not new.
How would bathroom maintenance be run on one?
Hard to believe we’ve gone to the moon and back and yet we’ve not accomplished the Hyperloop yet!
It’s clean & sustainable its “suction”
The Hyperloop would be better what they are tying to build in California with the high speed rail. The state has already spent 600 million on the rail project and not single rail has been put down!
As a Californian, I know that the “High Speed Rail” link is really just a medium speed system to fill the central coast Salinas valley, the San Joaquin valley and the Mohave valley with homes like the ones already built out at both ends of the link. Developers were critical to its legislative passage. Most of its trips will, in fact be local, and one or two daily trips will meet the 2.5 hour criteria end to end. Not really high speed.
What the ‘hyperloop’ should do, should it work as advertised, is take a journey to Seattle, beginning in LA, for instance, and move its effective start 20 minutes later to the Bay Area without having to invoke all the problems with air travel. If it is as frequent and regular as planned it will end up being as ideal for the trip as once Pacific Southwest Airlines, or the Eastern Shuttle as a business travelers mode in the 1970’s once was, without all the hassle of take-offs landings and taxiing, not to mention the airport shuttles.
What are the health effects on rhe human body? Gotta be STRESSFUL !
As someone previously said, this idea was introduced years ago and even featured in a Popular Science article. At that time it was not called Hyperloop but Maglev (magnetic levitation) trains. It was pitched to multiple governments but the upfront cost of the project was too much. I hope Elon Musk can work his magic and get this privately funded. Even if their was a crowdfunding campaign I am sure that it could help. Personally, I would like to see Cleveland added to this list of cities.
what will truly change the world is electrogravitic propulsion which would create the next space race and a western expansion of the solar system
If they used mag-lev, inside a vacuum tube, they could push 4000 Kph (2485 mph). Building the tube tunnels under the ocean could cross the Atlantic in less than 2 hours – that is New York to London in less than 2 hours!!. That is faster than current, commercial air travel. Then again, a gravity train can reach any part of the world in 42 minutes and 12 seconds.
Brilliant! Its about time someone has the guts to fight the establishment with outside the box thinking. This world can certainly use many more people like Elon. Thumbs up!!!
Wow this sound awesome do hope it gets off the ground we have to change that’s a dead cert !!
It’s not “Tesla’s Ultra-Speed Hyperloop Transportation” – the Hyperloop is not a Tesla project, so why does the headline say as much?