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Hyperloop makes transportation history in US desert
A revolution in transport took place in the Nevada desert over the weekend, when two Virgin Group employees became the first people to travel in a hyperloop pod – the first successful manned test run of the innovative technology.
LOGISTICS BY LEVITATION
Hyperloop technology uses electric propulsion and electromagnetic levitation under near-vacuum conditions to achieve incredibly fast transportation speeds. Virgin Hyperloop claims that these hyperloop vehicles travel three times faster than high-speed rail and ten times faster than traditional rail. The technology has the potential to revolutionise the way that passengers and goods are moved between cities and key sites.
FIRST MANNED MISSION
Sunday’s test run marks a significant development in the technology, as there has not previously been a fully functional hyperloop in the world and it has never before been tested successfully with passengers.
Josh Giegel, Virgin Hyperloop’s Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer and Sara Luchian, Director of Passenger Experience, were the first people in the world to ride on this new form of transportation. The test took place at Virgin Hyperloop’s 500-metre test site in Las Vegas, where the company has previously run more than 400 unmanned tests.
Giegel and Luchian made their maiden voyage on a two-seater XP-2 pod, built to prove that passengers can travel in safety and comfort. The proposed production vehicle will be much larger and will be able to seat up to 28 passengers.
ONE SMALL STEP, ONE GIANT LEAP
Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group, said: “For the past few years, the Virgin Hyperloop team has been working on turning its ground-breaking technology into reality. With [Sunday’s] successful test, we have shown that this spirit of innovation will in fact change the way people everywhere live, work and travel in the years to come.”
“When we started in a garage over six years ago, the goal was simple – to transform the way people move,” said Giegel. “Today, we took one giant leap toward that ultimate dream, not only for me, but for all of us who are looking towards a moonshot right here on Earth.”
Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chair of Virgin Hyperloop and Group Chair and CEO of DP World, said: “I had the true pleasure of seeing history made before my very eyes – to witness the first new mode of mass transportation in over 100 years come to life.
“I have always had tremendous faith in the team at Virgin Hyperloop to transform this technology into a safe system, and today we have done that. We are one step closer to ushering in a new era of ultra-fast, sustainable movement of people and goods.”
*https://virginhyperloop.com/
Published On: 12/11/2020 16:00:46
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