The world’s first commercial Hyperloop could be in operation as soon as 2019, ferrying passengers at near-supersonic speeds of up to 760mph. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), one of the companies vying to make Elon Musk‘s vision of futuristic transport a reality, unveiled its first full-size, passenger-carrying pod in Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain on Tuesday.
Dubbed the ‘Quintero One,’ the massive capsule is more than 100ft long and weighs in at five tons. In a nod to Marvel Comics, HTT says the pod is built out of the firm’s special ‘Vibranium,’ a sensor-embedded carbon fiber material.
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), one of the companies vying to make Elon Musk’s vision of futuristic transport a reality, unveiled its first full-size, passenger-carrying pod (pictured) in Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain on Tuesday.
The pod is built to scale and, once its interior is completed, will be able to carry between 28 and 40 passengers.
Now, the capsule will head to HTT’s research and development center in Toulouse, France, for additional assembly and to undergo tests on a full-size test track.
The full-size prototype capsule was constructed at the aerospace facilities of Airtificial, which is one of HTT’s partners.
HyperloopTT shows how they built their first passenger capsule. The pod is built to scale and, once its interior is completed, will be able to carry between 28 and 40 passengers. Now, the capsule will head to HTT’s research and development center in Toulouse, France, for additional assembly and to undergo tests on a full-size test track. The full-size prototype capsule was constructed at the aerospace facilities of Airtificial, which is one of HTT’s partners.
‘The creation of this capsule represents over a year long journey of the best expertise in design, engineering, and the development of cutting edge materials,’ Dirk Ahlborn, HTT co-founder and CEO.
‘In just five years we have solved and improved upon all of the technology needed for Hyperloop with our new levitation system, vacuum pumps, batteries, and smart composites.
‘This capsule will be a part of one of the most efficient transportation systems ever made,’ he added.
The Hyperloop idea was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who at the time said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes – half the time it takes a plane. It is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum. The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes. There are now a number of firms competing to bring the technology to life alongside HyperloopTT, including Elon Musk himself, Arrivo and Virgin Hyperloop One. Virgin Hyperloop One, which is backed by mogul Richard Branson, has a 1,600ft test track in the Nevada desert.
Arrivo is working with officials in Colorado on a Hyperloop-inspired system in downtown Denver. The firm has alsoe ntered a partnership with a state-run investment entity to pursue projects in China and around the world.
HTT has also pledged to build a fully operational Hyperloop system in Abu Dhabi by 2020. The track would be around six miles long and be located close to Al Maktoum International Airport on the border of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
There are few details about how Quintero One will run, beyond HTT noting that the passenger cabin measures up at about 50ft long. HTT envisions its passenger-carrying pods as being similar to an ‘airplane without wings’. It hopes that once the system has been tested in Toulouse, that it will be closer to achieving its previously set deadline of the Hyperloop system being fully operational by 2019.
What is Hyperloop?
Hyperloop is a proposed method of travel that would transport people at roughly 700mph between distant locations.
It was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who at the time said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes – half the time it takes a plane.
It is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum. For safety reasons, Hyperloop tunnels need escape hatches in case of fire.
The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes.
There are now a number of firms vying to bring the technology to life, including Elon Musk himself, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, and Virgin Hyperloop One.
However, it seems HTT may be eyeing a more distant deadline before the futuristic transit system is adopted worldwide.
‘In three years, you and me, we can take a hyperloop,’ Ahlborn told CNBC. ‘It’s definitely much sooner than anybody would expect.’
He noted that passengers would be required to sign a waiver before they’re able to ride a hyperloop, according to CNBC.
HTT was the first company to responds to Musk’s 2013 call for a hyperloop system. The firm now has over 800 engineers on its payroll.
For a few years now, HyperloopTT’s competitor Virgin Hyperloop One has suggested making a connection between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
In February, Virgin unveiled a stunning prototype of the pods that will carry passengers at speeds of up to 760mph (1,200 kmh) when it launches its Hyperloop service in Dubai.
Hyperloop’s low friction design means that passengers will be able to travel the 87 miles (140 km) between the city and neighbouring Abu Dhabi in 12 minutes, a journey that takes around 90 minutes by car. Released in February, the concept pods give a glimpse of the luxurious conditions inside the futuristic transport vehicles, which could be launched as soon as 2020. The pods themselves boast deluxe interiors, leather seats and high definition screens for displaying information and entertainment. Each pod is designed to travel short and medium distances and can accommodate up to ten passengers.