Ten years after being mentioned by the whimsical billionaire Elon Musk, Hyperloop is not ready to levitate its first passengers at more than 1,000 km / h, but several companies are still working on the subject.
Ten years after it was first mooted by Elon Musk, the idea of the Hyperloop has been brought to life through ongoing research. At the TU Delft test bed in Hilversum, students are working on the development of their own Hyperloop vehicle, powered by magnets.
“We have permanent magnets like the ones you put on your fridge on our pod, on our vehicle, and on the track we have coils through which we run current and with that we push our pod to make a motor. .. very effective “, assure Hidde de Bos, director of technology at the Delft Hyperloop.
For these students, the hyperloop is the transportation system of the future. “So we are in the process of building a magnetic levitation train which should replace airplanes in the future”explains the director. “Our technical prototype can reach 75 to 80 kilometers per hour, but the real-scale technology, the full implementation, should achieve around 1,000 kilometers,” he adds.
Hidde de Bos says he is very enthusiastic. “Everyone worked very hard on this project, so we’re very proud of what we’ve achieved and hope we can contribute to the idea of the Hyperloop.”
A dream of Elon Musk
Elon Musk originally thought to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles in half an hour. Tired of traffic jams, and obviously not believing in the Californian high-speed train project.
Taking up an old idea, he proposed circulating capsules (“pods” in English) carrying around thirty people at speeds ranging from 1,000 to 1,200 km/h. They would follow one another in low-pressure tubes, perched on pylons.
We have spoken of a “fifth mode” of transport, after planes, trains, road vehicles and boats.
Beyond the feasibility, uncertainty remains on the costs. And many transport experts remain frankly puzzled. Elon Musk did not embark directly on the adventure, contenting himself with encouraging start-ups to realize his dream.