Hyperloop One has just announced they have achieved the fastest ever speed in a hyperloop test track, with an impressive 192mph or 310km/h. This test was conducted last week on July 29th using their XP-1 prototype Hyperloop pod. From Elon Musk’s idea in August 2013, to August of 2017, its been 4 years of hard work by many of the world’s smartest people to tackle the 5 mode of transport, but we’re now making big strides to achieving it.
At those speeds, Hyperloop well exceeds the fastest trains in use in Australia and is well on their way to delivering the ultra-fast transport slated for installations in Dubai and other parts of the globe. The company from California, says that all aspects of the system, from motors, to electronics, to the vacuum pump and magnetic levitation mechanism worked well during the test. Its important to not that the top speed is still somewhat limited by the length of the track. When Hyperloop becomes a reality and carries passengers, it’ll have to accelerate at a pace that’s conducive to an expected level of comfort by humans. Equally slowing down from potentially 1,000km/h will take a substantial distance, but that’s indeed the whole point, to move large distances quickly, not unsimilar to the ascent and decent of air travel.
To preview what’s in store for the future of the vacuum-sealed transportation of the future, Hyperloop One have a great video which is part real-world video from tests and 3D animation projecting forward into the future.
The track was located in Nevada which has plenty of big open spaces, perfect for a half a kilometer track for testing. Previously SpaceX’s pod design competition had seen pods tested for functionality, but later this month, they’ll compete in Competition Weekend II which is scheduled for August 25-27, 2017, at SpaceX’s Hyperloop track in Hawthorne, CA. Only at that weekend will we learn more about the most efficient design and get a better understanding of the top speeds possible with the scale pods.
More information at TechCrunch
