The CEO of of the Virgin Hyperloop project is predicting commercial operations could be up and running as early as 2027, and that it could be the first form of transport in 100 years to revolutionise travel, just like cars, trains and planes did.
Co-founder and Chief Executive Josh Giegel has given Reuters an exclusive tour of the pod used in its November test run, where it was propelled along a 500 metre route. Hyperloop pods are predicted to be able to travel at up to 750 miles per hour along vacuum tubes.
“It will feel like an aircraft at take-off and once you’re at speed,” he’s quoted as saying. “You won’t even have turbulence because our system is basically completely able to react to all that turbulence. Think noise-canceling but bump-canceling, if you will.”
The report says Virgin Hyperloop is looking to first develop passenger routes in India, where the transport system is overloaded, and in Saudi Arabia, which lacks an infrastructure. “It starts off with two people riding a Hyperloop. It ends with hundreds of millions of people riding on a Hyperloop and that’s what the 2020s, the roaring 20s will be,” Giegel said.
Read the full report here.
(Picture – Virgin Hyperloop)
