Hyperloop One holds successful test of its futuristic propulsion system
In less than a decade, it may be possible for a person to live in San Francisco, commute to work in Los Angeles, and go to lunch in Las Vegas, without having to hop on an airplane or sit in traffic in a car.
Hyperloop One's hyperloop network would consist of several tubes that connect major cities to each other. Pods, which would carry cargo or 10 to 30 passengers, would go inside the tubes, depressurized to eliminate most air resistance. Magnets would help the pods reach speeds of up to 700 mph, although engineers say passenger-filled pods would accelerate at the same rate as a private jet, so people could eat, drink, and chat comfortably. The company wants to have the system up and running for cargo as early as 2019, and for passengers by 2021, and will hold a full-scale test at the end of the year. Watch the video below to get a better idea of how you might be traveling not too far down the road. Catherine Garcia
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
‘The West needs people’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Filing statuses: What they are and how to choose one for your taxesThe Explainer Your status will determine how much you pay, plus the tax credits and deductions you can claim
-
Nan Goldin: The Ballad of Sexual Dependency – an ‘engrossing’ exhibitionThe Week Recommends All 126 images from the American photographer’s ‘influential’ photobook have come to the UK for the first time
-
Epstein files topple law CEO, roil UK governmentSpeed Read Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, is caught up in the scandal
-
Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishesSpeed Read The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East
-
EU and India clinch trade pact amid US tariff warSpeed Read The agreement will slash tariffs on most goods over the next decade
-
Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from GazaSpeed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
