Invented in 2013 by Elon Musk, the Hyperloop will ultimately never come to fruition. And for good reason, the ambitious project of the CEO of Tesla, taken over by Virgin under the name Hyperloop One, faces numerous obstacles, which have brought it to a definitive halt.
Traffic jams are arguably one of the most annoying things on the road today. Indeed, they are very time-consuming and also cause pollution while thermal cars are still in the majority. However, some companies are trying to find solutions to combat this scourge.
A promising technology
This is for example the case of Google, which is working on optimized management of traffic lights, thanks to the help of artificial intelligence. A recent study explained that self-driving cars could also be a perfect solution to reduce slowdowns on highways. But that’s not all, because Elon Musk also had an idea, he’s already ten years old.
This is the Hyperloop, a unique system which takes the form of a double tube, elevated or underground, in which capsules move at very high speed, thanks to air cushions. The inside of the tube is under low pressure to limit air friction, which allows you to go much faster. Thus, according to the businessman, it would be possible to travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco in just 30 minutes, compared to around 6 hours by car.
A 550 kilometer journey which takes around 35 minutes by plane, with all the constraints that come with this mode of transport. On paper, suffice to say that the Hyperloop had very serious arguments, which pushed several companies to embark on the adventure. And for good reason, Elon Musk left this project open source and had not filed any patents. This is how Hyperloop Technologies was created in 2016, then renamed Hyperloop One then Virgin Hyperloop One.
The society, bought by billionaire Richard Branson had invested several million dollars in this project. But the latter will ultimately never see the light of day, as explained in an article on the American site Bloomberg. The latter indicates that the company has changed its strategy and no longer believes in this mode of transport, preferring dedicate to the transport of goods rather than that of people.
An aborted project
Sources close to the matter, who wished to remain anonymous, explained that Virgin Hyperloop One is selling all its assets, to lay off its employees and close its offices. It is rumored that she will bequeath all of her intellectual property to DP World, the majority shareholder of the project. News that puts a stop to the latter.
Because if other companies were also interested in it, none actually had the shoulders strong enough to be able to put this innovative means of transport into service, apart from Richard Branson’s firm. But the latter experienced numerous legal setbacksincluding accusations of “competing allegations of harassment and sabotage ” and D “sexual assault and misconduct » against the co-founders.
The project was nevertheless well advanced, since a test track had even been built in Nevada and that tests have been carried out. The latter will not have been really conclusive, the Hyperloop having failed to exceed 160 km/h, against the 1,100 planned by Elon Musk in his initial project. Furthermore, the company did not manage to obtain the slightest contract in order to be able to begin the construction of its infrastructures, which undoubtedly contributed to accelerating its end.
Its activities will therefore officially stop next December 31. But as indicated Numerama“ Hyperloop One was the most advanced and most publicized company in the hyperloop sector, but its bankruptcy does not mean the total abandonment of the project. “Several companies specializing in hyperloop are at various stages of building prototypes, including Hardt Hyperloop, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, and Swisspod Technologies,” recalls Bloomberg“.