The Hyperloop: Wacky Idea or the Future of Passenger Travel?
In addition to his work with electric cars and spacecraft, Tesla Motors and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is known for creating the hyperloop project, an idea that could revolutionize the way people travel. However, this concept could also end up as yet another discarded mode of transportation that failed to live up to expectations.
Is the hyperloop a pie-in-the-sky notion or a viable transportation method? Read on to decide for yourself.
Musk developed his hyperloop concept in 2013 in response to the shortcomings he perceived in the plans for California’s high-speed rail project. The hyperloop consists of two large tubes, elevated above the ground on a series of pylons placed every 100 feet or so, extending between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Pods carrying passengers would zip through these tubes at speeds of up to 700 mph—faster than a commercial airplane. At this speed, the travel time between the two cities would shrink to just 35 minutes, a significant improvement over the current car travel time of 6 hours. Some journalists have compared the hyperloop idea to the pneumatic tubes that the characters in The Jetsons cartoon used when traveling within a building.
How does the hyperloop work?
Musk describes his invention as a cross between “a Concorde, a rail gun, and an air hockey table.” Magnetic accelerators would propel the passenger pods forward within the tube. To minimize any friction and reduce “choked airflow”—the buildup of air in front of the pod, the air pressure within the tube would be reduced through the use of air bearings lining the tube and various other innovations, including an air compressor installed at the front of the pod to promote better airflow around the pod. The hyperloop tubes would be covered by solar panels to provide a clean source of energy to power the system.
What are some of the potential problems with the hyperloop?
The high speeds of the hyperloop would make large changes in elevation or turns very dangerous—thus, this method of transportation is best for trips that travel along a level elevation and in a relatively straight line. Another safety concern is that earthquakes could damage the pylons on which the tube rests, although Musk’s design takes into account movement and slippage from such seismic events.
Despite these safety issues, the loudest criticism of the hyperloop concerns its price tag. Musk has claimed that his $6 billion hyperloop would be a far cheaper solution than California’s expensive high speed rail plans, the cost of which is now nearing $68 billion. However, critics have noted that the hyperloop’s estimated expense doesn’t include cost of crossing San Francisco Bay. Musk’s proposal puts the northern terminus of the hyperloop in the suburban East Bay rather than in San Francisco itself. In addition, Musk envisions the southern endpoint of the system in the northernmost suburbs of LA, well away from downtown. Critics contend that given these endpoints, the estimated cost of Musk’s hyperloop is grossly understated as it doesn’t account for additional construction in highly populated and inner-city areas.
Some also contend that, while transporting people from Northern to Southern California in 35 minutes is impressive, passengers would still have to transfer onto other forms of transportation to reach downtown LA and San Francisco. This could put the actual travel time between the two cities via the hyperloop at closer to 3 hours, including time waiting for transfers.
Where does the technology stand now?
Musk isn’t trying to design or build a commercially operable hyperloop himself. However, his company SpaceX is financing the construction of a test track in Hawthorne, California, and is also holding a contest to find the best pod design. The contest is targeted at university students and teams of engineers, rather than companies. Teams will be able to try out their pod designs during the competition at the SpaceX test track in June 2016.
In addition, a company called Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) is recruiting engineers willing to devote their free time to developing an operable hyperloop in exchange for stock options. In August 2015, HTT inked an agreement with Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum and Aecom—an event the media interpreted as lending credence and endorsement to HTT’s prototype.
More recently, a company called Hyperloop Technologies announced in early November that it had raised $26 million in funding from Khosla Ventures—another vote of confidence in the technology.
