Tesla enters the Hyperloop race, instantly breaks speed record
The race to dominate the future of high speed travel is on, and Elon Musk just showed his hand
Key takeaways
- Late last week, according to Musk, his Tesla branded Hyperloop pusher, the sled that will accelerate the Hyperloop cargo and passenger pods, hit 220 mph, breaking the record set by Hyperloop One last month when they hit 192mph.
- The Tesla pod, while fast, isn't anywhere near the supersonic speeds that Musk thinks are possible in the near vacuum of his test tube.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'Tesla enters the Hyperloop race, instantly breaks speed record', 311 Institute, 5 September. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/tesla-enters-the-hyperloop-race-instantly-breaks-speed-record/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
In 2013 billionaire polymath Elon Musk “gave” the world his Hyperloop idea, a concept of a train in a vacuum tube that could travel at speeds of over Mach 1, to the world – even though actually the idea first emerged in 1900’s London as a way to transport goods across the River Thames.
Originally it was thought that Musk was “open sourcing” his idea because he didn’t have time to build it himself, what with running SolarCity, SpaceX, Tesla and all, but now, despite recent advances by the big two startups in the space Hyperloop One, who look ready to build the world’s first Hyperloop network in Dubai in 2021, and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), it’s increasingly evident that he’s trying to commercialise the technology himself, and it's also conceivable that he's going to combine it with his Boring Company's ambitions to build a network of subterranean Hyperloop tunnels under Los Angeles.
Late last week, according to Musk, his Tesla branded Hyperloop pusher, the sled that will accelerate the Hyperloop cargo and passenger pods, hit 220 mph, breaking the record set by Hyperloop One last month when they hit 192mph.
"We took the SpaceX/Tesla Hyperloop pusher pod for a spin by itself a few days ago to see what it could do when not pushing student pods (some need a push to get going, e.g. passive maglev). Got up to 355 km/h (220 mph) before things started 🔥. Kind of like racing with a tugboat. Maybe able get past 500 km/h (about half speed of sound) next month with a few tweaks or maybe tiny pieces…" Musk posted.
The Tesla pod, while fast, isn't anywhere near the supersonic speeds that Musk thinks are possible in the near vacuum of his test tube. Still, Musk thinks he can "get past 500 km/h,” or about half speed of sound, “next month with a few tweaks or maybe tiny pieces," according to his Instagram post announcing the record.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
The race to dominate the future of high speed travel is on, and Elon Musk just showed his hand
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- thinks are possible twitter.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 5 September 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). Tesla enters the Hyperloop race, instantly breaks speed record. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/tesla-enters-the-hyperloop-race-instantly-breaks-speed-record/
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