Hyperloop test track: Elon Musk is facing stiff competition in California – Business Week

by Andreas Donath Source: Golem

Fast, faster, Hyperloop: For the futuristic transportation system a test track in California is built. For the system to be tested, later the people at 1200 km / h above A to B brings.

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies after a report by the Technology Portals “Wired” signed the contract with the landowners in California, on the floor built the test track for the first Hyperloop train should be. It will be about eight kilometers long and will be built along Interstate 5.

On the system, however, because of their short length just 320 km / h top speed possible .

Elon Musk, who introduced the system in 2013, but has nothing to do with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, announced plans to build its own test track, which have the same length and will probably occur in Texas. There are to be tested Hyperloop designs.

The tube in which 28 passengers are transported in a capsule in speed of sound with the help of magnetic levitation, to high speeds by . achieve a partial evacuation to reduce friction

The schedule of Hyperloop was ambitious from the very beginning: in mid-2014 should be the construction of the first prototype start, which should be completed early 2015. In the first quarter 2015 it wanted Hyperloop Transportation Technologies show. But the ultimate goal is not short tubes, but a link between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The journey should take 35 minutes.

Test Track is 100 million US dollars cost

The challenge at higher speeds will be the tube that must be manufactured with extreme precision. Slight deviations may here have fatal consequences when the high-speed train it happened. In addition, the partial vacuum must be maintained – because only so the speed can be achieved at all. A leak could have fatal consequences. A small error on the entire route could have significant consequences, which could make the system highly vulnerable.

The test road shall for information of “Wired” about 100 million dollars cost to be collected in the context of an IPO. . A tube between Los Angeles and San Francisco (640 km) would extrapolated accordingly cost about 8 billion US dollars

That would still much cheaper than what the state plans: A high-speed rail line that both the connecting cities, is expected to cost 67.6 billion US dollars.

This article was first published on golem.de.