DRIVING CHANGE
Hyperloop zips commuters between cities in MINUTES moving as many people as 30-lane highway with levitation tech
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HYPERLOOP systems will move as many people as a 30-lane highway between cities in minutes, according to Virgin Hyperloop's chief.
Speaking to Reuters on Monday, Josh Giegel said the upcoming transport technology would move "massive amounts of people" at the speed of an aircraft inside levitating capsules.
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He also explained what it was like to ride inside one of the pods after taking part in a test run at a Virgin facility in Nevada last year alongside fellow staff member Sara Luchian.
"From starting this in a garage seven years ago, to drawing it up on a whiteboard, to sitting inside it, it was all very surreal," Giegel said.
"The acceleration was similar to a sportscar, and we were giddy.
"The biggest piece of that test was that the world saw two people get on a hyperloop, and saw two people get off.
He added: "Until that moment, everyone wondered 'Could it be safe for people?' Now we know that it is."
Developed by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Hyperloop, the technology uses high-powered electromagnets to push levitating pods through a tube.
The pods reach speeds of up to 670mph (1,000kph) and could transport passengers and goods between cities in minutes.
"We take you inside a tube, which gives you lots of advantages," Giegel said.
The acceleration was similar to a sportscar
Josh Giegel
"It's impervious to weather, and you avoid lots of things that cause accidents, like crossings.
"Inside the tube we take almost all the air out, allowing you to go at high speeds with very little energy consumption."
He added: "We use magnetic levitation technology, so there is no grinding, and everything is contactless and smooth.
"With electromagnetic propulsion, and 20-30 passengers per pod, we could move tens of thousands of passengers per hour."
In November 2020, Giegel and director of customer experience Luchian became the first two people to ride a Virgin capsule.
They hit speeds of 107mph (170kph) on a 1,600ft (500m) test track, marking a huge milestone for Virgin Hyperloop and Sir Richard.
The firm hopes to have a Hyperloop operating between Dubai and Abu Dhabi within the next decade.
"This is not 10 or 20 years away," Giegel said. "Cities can start incorporating this into their planning right now."
"I couldn't put my finger on who will be the very first, but in addition to America, we are also looking at places like India, Europe and the Middle East. We are probably looking at a timeframe of 2025-27."
What is a Hyperloop?
ELON Musk's outlandish dream of a revolutionary transport system is slowly coming to pass.
The futuristic Hyperloop concept he created in 2013 has been successfully tested and received massive investment from Virgin's Richard Branson.
When proposing the idea, Musk described the transport system as “a cross between a Concorde, a railgun and an air hockey table”.
The hyperloop would enable passengers to travel in pods which levitate inside massive tubes.
The tubes are surrounded by a cushion of air which drastically reduces friction.
The friction-less pods are able to safely travel at immensely high speeds – similar to how a puck glides in a game of air hockey.
The pods will be propelled either by magnets (a system called passive magnetic levitation) or air expelled from the vessels themselves.
The tubes would be suspended off the ground to protect against weather conditions and earthquakes.
Musk proposed the Hyerploop in a paper that he published for free online, challenging engineers to develop the technology.
Richard Branson and Virgin invested in Hyperloop One, which has now been renamed "Virgin Hyperloop".
Virgin Hyperloop, previously known as Hyperloop Technologies, completed the first public test of the propulsion system in May 2016.
Canada's Transpod and Spain's Zeleros also aim to upend traditional passenger and freight networks with similar technology.
Los Angeles-based Hyperloop envisions a future where floating pods packed with passengers and cargo hurtle through vacuum tubes.
In a hyperloop system, which uses magnetic levitation to allow near-silent travel, a trip between New York and Washington would take just 30 minutes. You could get from London to Edinburgh in 45 minutes.
Canada's Transpod and Spain's Zeleros also aim to upend traditional passenger and freight networks with similar technology.
"We're looking at moving massive amounts of people, at the speed of an aircraft, giving them the opportunity to live where they want to live and work where they want to work," Giegel said.
"A hyperloop would move as many people and goods as a 30-lane highway."
He added: "It transforms the math. Look at how long it takes you right now to get across Manhattan. Maybe 40 minutes."
"You could go from NYC to Washington, D.C., in less time. You could go from LA to Las Vegas in 40 minutes."
First proposed by billionaire Elon Musk, hyperloop technology promises to slash travel times and congestion.
The systems are also said to be better for the environment as they produce less greenhouse gases than cars and trains.
However, concerns have dogged developers about just how safe the technology would be.
One researcher at Sweden's Royal Institute of Technology, argued that the high speeds involved could turn the Hyperloop into a "barf ride."
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