Source: AFP
The dream of driving between European cities at speeds of more than 700 kilometers per hour moved a step closer on Monday with the first successful vehicle tests at the European Hyperloop Centre.
Passing through a sleek white tunnel 420 meters (1,377 feet) long, a dark and light gray striped pod hovers on command from mission control, before moving away using magnetic propulsion and without anyone on board.
For now, the speed is relatively slow at 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) per hour, but operators hope to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) by the end of the year as they race to develop a system until 2030.
“We will be ready to transport passengers with such a vehicle by 2030,” Roel van de Pas, commercial director of Dutch company Hardt Hyperloop, told AFP.
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Amsterdam to Berlin in 90 minutes or Milan in two hours — technology has the potential to revolutionize travel in Europe, Van de Pas believes.
SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk brought the hyperloop into popular culture with a 2013 paper that proposed a “fifth mode of transportation” connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles.
But several attempts to develop the technology have failed, including by British tycoon Richard Branson, and critics say “hype” is the relative part of the name “hyperloop.”
Not so, says Van de Pas. “It will really change the relationship we have in Europe. It will really integrate the continent,” believes the 39-year-old.
‘Barf ride’
Monday’s test launch took place in front of 300 guests, including Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, who watched on a large screen with mission control communications.
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The next stage is to test under full vacuum conditions — almost all the air is sucked out of the tunnel to reduce air resistance — and gradually increase the speeds.
Source: AFP
The European Hyperloop Center is the only facility in the world to have a “lane switch”, a tunnel that branches off from the main track.
It allows scientists to test rapid course changes — vital to building a network.
Hardt Hyperloop hopes to begin testing the lane switch with vehicles soon and eventually build a larger hub to allow the pod to reach breakneck speeds.
The ultimate goal is to replace short-haul European flights and long-haul routes across the continent, with ticket costs possibly comparable to a low-cost airline, Van de Pas said.
A successful deployment of a dense hyperloop network would also provide a significant environmental boost.
A hyperloop system uses about one-tenth the energy of aviation and one-third of a railroad, while being completely noise-free as it is enclosed within the tunnel.
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The tunnels could be placed next to existing highways, and the European Hyperloop Center has already experimented with blending in with the environment, painting part of its tunnel to look like a forest.
A concern that is often raised is the passenger experience. Screaming through a narrow tunnel at the speed of sound might not be everyone’s idea of a comfortable ride.
Transportation blogger Alan Levy famously described Musk’s initial proposal as a “barf ride.”
But Van de Pas promised a smooth journey.
Source: AFP
The vehicles, which will eventually carry about 50 passengers, will have the same vibration and comfort levels as modern trains, he said.
China already has a test facility that allows speeds of up to 700 km/h, but Van de Pas welcomes global competition.
“We need good competitors and we are all pursuing the same mission. We want to make traveling these long distances a zero-emissions endeavor,” he told AFP.
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“We look at what our competitors are doing and they look at us, and together we build an industry.”
Source: AFP
