Magnetic floating pods traveling through a series of tubes sound like a scene from sci-fi movies, right? But what if they could be used for mass transport?
The American transport tech company Virgin Hyperloop expects to make it happen by 2027,co-founder and Chief Executive Josh Giegel toldReuters.
The company is developing tech for passenger pods that will reach a speedup to 1,200 kilometers through almost air-free vacuum tunnels using magnetic levitation.
Simply put, the pods are super-fast because the lack of air and the magnetic levitation reduce friction.
They will accommodate 28 passengers, and will also be used for freight.
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“It will feel like an aircraft at take-off and once you’re at speed,” Geigel said. Well, that’s exciting.
Virgin Hyperloop is not alone in the race to revolutionize travel, especially sinceElon Musk reignited interestin the system back in 2013.
Nevertheless, last November it runthe first successful safety testwith human passengers.
Virgin Hyperloop will make its first routes in India and Saudi Arabia, where the transport systems are overloaded or underdeveloped.
To offer a glimpse in the future, a hyperloop promises to reduce the three-and-a-half-hour trip from Mumbai to Pune to just 35 minutes.
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Story byIoanna Lykiardopoulou
Ioanna is a writer at TNW. She covers the full spectrum of the European tech ecosystem, with a particular interest in startups, sustainabili(show all)Ioanna is a writer at TNW. She covers the full spectrum of the European tech ecosystem, with a particular interest in startups, sustainability, green tech, AI, and EU policy. With a background in the humanities, she has a soft spot for social impact-enabling technologies.
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