Rail travel: Elon Musk's 745 mph Hyperloop train plans unveiled
Technology
High-speed tube plans unveiled at xSpain tech conference in Madrid
Elon Musk's project, building a high-speed tube train, would enable passengers to travel from Madrid to Barcelona (620 km) in only 30 minutes, less than half the time of a plane trip. The plans for the “Hyperloop” were presented at xSpain technology conference that took place last weekend.
Hyperloop ambitious project aims to build a high-speed train running at 1,200km per hour (745mph), which will connect important cities through low-pressure steel tubes, using a vacuum-style technology, induction motors, air compressors, magnets and fans for sonic-speeds. The technology can be used for passenger transportation, as well as for high-speed cargo delivery.
The idea of the hyperloop was born in 2013, though Elon Musk is not directly involved in Hyperloop Technologies Company. Musk sees it as the “fifth mode” of transport, powered by solar panels, that would transport more than 10 million people every year and calls the project “not difficult”: “I know there are various companies that are trying to create the Hyperloop, and honestly I think it is a lot easier than people think. Blueprints are always kind of complicated, and, yes, there is math, but it’s really not that hard.”.
Dirk Ahlborn, CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies declared at the conference that the technology for building the train is already available and announced plans for a 8 km test track in southern California: “We already have the technology. We are currently working to get the necessary licenses and will begin construction next year, opening to the public in 2018 or 2019.”
The company is currently developing the tube design, manufacturing process and tech.
"We're living in an on-demand economy, but the backbone of this economy has to keep up, and Hyperloop is in the process of building that new transportation backbone.”
Hyperloop Technologies is currently receiving inquiries for public and private partnerships from all over the world for this project, to make the near-sonic train a reality.
"There seems to be global movement getting behind this construct."
"We think the public wants it. We think the public is tired of having an antiquated transportation system that's based on technologies that were invented a century ago."
Elon Musk's project, building a high-speed tube train, would enable passengers to travel from Madrid to Barcelona (620 km) in only 30 minutes, less than half the time of a plane trip. The plans for the “Hyperloop” were presented at xSpain technology conference that took place last weekend.
Hyperloop ambitious project aims to build a high-speed train running at 1,200km per hour (745mph), which will connect important cities through low-pressure steel tubes, using a vacuum-style technology, induction motors, air compressors, magnets and fans for sonic-speeds. The technology can be used for passenger transportation, as well as for high-speed cargo delivery.
The idea of the hyperloop was born in 2013, though Elon Musk is not directly involved in Hyperloop Technologies Company. Musk sees it as the “fifth mode” of transport, powered by solar panels, that would transport more than 10 million people every year and calls the project “not difficult”: “I know there are various companies that are trying to create the Hyperloop, and honestly I think it is a lot easier than people think. Blueprints are always kind of complicated, and, yes, there is math, but it’s really not that hard.”.
Dirk Ahlborn, CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies declared at the conference that the technology for building the train is already available and announced plans for a 8 km test track in southern California: “We already have the technology. We are currently working to get the necessary licenses and will begin construction next year, opening to the public in 2018 or 2019.”
The company is currently developing the tube design, manufacturing process and tech.
"We're living in an on-demand economy, but the backbone of this economy has to keep up, and Hyperloop is in the process of building that new transportation backbone.”
Hyperloop Technologies is currently receiving inquiries for public and private partnerships from all over the world for this project, to make the near-sonic train a reality.
"There seems to be global movement getting behind this construct."
"We think the public wants it. We think the public is tired of having an antiquated transportation system that's based on technologies that were invented a century ago."
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