Virgin Hyperloop Conducts First-Ever Passenger Trial

Virgin Hyperloop carried two passengers for the first trials of their hyperloop concept. They may not be the first to test this futuristic transportation method practically, but they were the first to carry passengers along. 

Virgin hyperloop is an American transportation company that is working towards making the concept of the hyperloop a reality. Since 2014, they have been making several trials of the hyperloop concept first discussed by Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, and several other companies.

The hyperloop’s idea involves having trains moving within a vacuum tube to achieve more than 1000km/hr speeds. These high-speed trains’ movement is based on the principle of the world’s fastest magnetic levitation (maglev) trains. To ensure these trains are more efficient, air resistance is eliminated by introducing a vacuum in the tube. 

In the trial tests made by Virgin Hyperloop, the maximum speed achieved was 172km/hr over a distance of 500m. The target of Virgin Hyperloop is to achieve up to 1000km/hr. However, achieving 172km/hr over 500m is already impressive and gives hope to the many engineers and other team members working on this idea. 

Virgin Hyperloop was able to have two passengers on a board, giving the general public confidence that this concept will likely become a reality sooner than we had anticipated. The two passengers on board were Sara Luchian, the customer experience director, and Josh Giegel, the Virgin Hyperloop chief technology officer. 

Having these two internal staff testing the hyperloop further made it clear that the people in charge of building this project trust and believe in their work. Virgin hyperloop will also have to challenge itself in the upcoming trials by carrying along more passengers and probably achieving higher speeds than the 172/hr.

In estimates made by Elon Musk, he expects a 351-mile tube from Los Angeles to San Francisco to cost between $6 and $7.50, which is a considerable investment. On the passenger’s side, however, this kind of trip will cost only $20.

Experts predict that by 2035, several countries will have running hyperloops. This will make it possible for people to work from one country and stay in another. However, many obstacles have to be overcome before this idea can become a reality.