WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF
In 2013 the Hyperloop was just a concept, and now it’s being tested in Nevada, and it won’t be long before we can travel in one.
The Hyperloop, a futuristic Mach 1.0 “train in a tube” concept, that was first touted by Elon Musk back in 2013 came one step closer to reality this week when Hyperloop One, one of the main start ups in the field, managed to get their prototype XP-1 pod to travel at 192mph along 500 meters of their test track in Nevada.
As well as setting a new Hyperloop record, which isn’t hard because let’s face it this is the first of its kind, this was the first time anyone has demonstrated that the concept, albeit on a small scale and a “slow” speed, works, and a few weeks ago the same team achieved another first when they pushed their test truck to over 70mph in the same tube.
“This is the beginning, and the dawn of a new era of transportation,” said Shervin Pishevar, co-founder of Hyperloop One, “we’ve reached historic speeds of 192 miles per hour and we’re excited to finally show the world the XP-1 going into the Hyperloop One tube.”
Prototypes for the futuristic mode of transport are being developed by a host of rival companies, such as rival Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), who recently showed off it’s own concept pod, but Hyperloop One, has already managed to secure orders, mainly from Dubai and DP World for the world’s first passenger and cargo Hyperloop network which will hopefully go live in 2021, and, which, spoiler alert, I might be working on… so watch this space.
“We’re excited about the prospects and the reception we’ve received from governments around the world to help solve their mass transportation and infrastructure challenges,” said Rob Lloyd, chief executive of Hyperloop One, adding that the company plans to discuss the technology with partners, customers and governments following the successful trial.
That said though before they can test their pod at what would nearly be full speed, or 750mph, first they’ll have to add an additional 500 meters of track, as well as fine tune the system. And as for the immediate future? Well, the team are going to be working on solving some of the more practical problems such as creating an airlock that can help create a stable vacuum in the tunnel.
