Elon Musk Is Actually Testing Hyperloop Transport Now

The pressurised tube that promises to shoot you from LA to San Fran in 35 minutes.
Tom Clift
March 26, 2015

Billionaire entrepreneur and possible mad scientist Elon Musk is one step closer to making his Futurama-style transportation system a reality. After first proposing the high-speed, compressed air-powered Hyperloop back in 2012, the Tesla, PayPal and Zip2 cofounder has just put down a lease on a warehouse in downtown Los Angeles, establishing the headquarters for Hyperloop Technologies Incorporated.

Described by Musk as a "cross between a Concorde and a railgun and an air hockey table," the proposed Hyperloop system would consist of a long route of elevated vacuum-sealed steel tubes, through which pressurised capsules ride cushions of air at speeds of up to 1220km/h. Designed to transport both freight and brave human passengers, Musk’s first proposed route would run from LA to San Francisco, cutting the roughly six and a half-hour drive time to just 35 minutes.

If you think that this idea sounds awesome, then you’re right — it's straight-up awesome. There are however still a few small details to work out. Despite Musk’s initial assertions that the project would cost a 'mere' US$6 billion to complete, several economists have put the price tag closer to ten times that, if not more. There’s also the possibility that people might be a little reluctant to seal themselves inside a windowless metal pod travelling at breakneck speeds through the desert — although if the proposed US$20 ticket price holds true, it may be a preferable alternative to flying.

For those of you who geek out over science, Gizmag published a pretty comprehensive breakdown of Musk’s 2013 proposal over here. The next step in the system’s development will involve an 8km test track, with Musk identifying Texas as a possible location. Hyperloop Technologies CEO Dirk Ahlborn last year estimated that a commercially operable Hyperloop “can be built within the decade.”

Via LA Times.

Published on March 26, 2015 by Tom Clift
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