Hyperloop: Difference between revisions

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A [[Technical University of Munich]] hyperloop set a speed record of {{cvt|463|km/h|mph|0}} in July 2019<ref name=brde20210521/><ref name=verge20190722/> at the [[Hyperloop pod competition|pod design competition]] hosted by SpaceX in [[Hawthorne, California|Hawthorne]], California.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Etherington |first1=Darrell |title=Here's a first look at the SpaceX Hyperloop test track |url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/02/heres-a-first-look-at-the-spacex-hyperloop-test-track/ |publisher=TechCrunch |date=2 September 2016 |access-date=25 November 2016 |archive-date=15 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915205721/https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/02/heres-a-first-look-at-the-spacex-hyperloop-test-track/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Virgin Hyperloop]] conducted the first human trial in November 2020 at its test site in [[Las Vegas]], reaching a top speed of {{cvt|107|mph|km/h|0|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/nov/09/first-passengers-travel-in-virgins-levitating-hyperloop-pod-system |title=First passengers travel in Virgin's levitating hyperloop pod system |work=The Guardian |date=9 November 2020 |access-date=10 November 2020 |archive-date=10 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110032806/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/nov/09/first-passengers-travel-in-virgins-levitating-hyperloop-pod-system |url-status=live}}</ref> Swisspod Technologies unveiled a 1:12 scale testing facility in a circular shape to simulate an "infinite" hyperloop trajectory in July 2021 on the EPFL campus at [[Lausanne]], [[Switzerland]].<ref name="epfl.ch"/> In 2023, a new European effort to standardize "hyperloop systems" released a draft standard.<ref name=cencenelec202301/>

[[Hyperloop One]], one of the best well-known and well-funded players in the hyperloop space, declared bankruptcy and ceased operations on 31 December 2023. Other companies continue to pursue hyperloop technology development.<ref name=hyperloopOneShutdown20231221/>

==History==

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As of 21 December 2023, [[Hyperloop One]], the former, rebranded Virgin Hyperloop, has terminated operations.<ref name=hyperloopOneShutdown20231221>{{cite news|last=McBride |first=Sarah |title=Hyperloop One to Shut Down After Failing to Reinvent Transit |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-12-21/hyperloop-one-to-shut-down-after-raising-millions-to-reinvent-transit|publisher=Bloomberg |date=21 December 2023}}</ref>

Work in China on a similar project continued. In July 2024, [[CASIC]] conducted a test of their low-vacuum rail system.<ref>{{Cite news |last=CNSAWatcher |date=August 4, 2024 |title=CASIC achieves milestone |url=https://x.com/CNSAWatcher/status/1820372753783873806}}</ref>

==Theory and operation==

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{{undue weight|section|date=January 2024}}

Several routes have been proposed that meet the distance conditions for which a hyperloop is hypothesized to provide improved transport times: under approximately {{Convert|1500|km|miles|abbr=off}}.<ref name=zdnet20200418>{{Cite web|last=Ranger|first=Steve|title=What is Hyperloop? Everything you need to know about the race for super-fast travel|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-hyperloop-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-future-of-transport/|access-date=18 April 2020|website=ZDNet|language=en|archive-date=30 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030113256/https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-hyperloop-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-future-of-transport/|url-status=live}}</ref> Route proposals range from speculation described in company releases<!-- and this speculative material is often [[WP:UNDUE]] -->, to [[business case]]s, to signed agreements.

==== China ====

China has been at the forefront of cutting edge research into ultra high-speed transport and has in the last decade spearheading the successful construction of China's [[high-speed rail]] network into the world's most expansive rapid transport system.

In July 2024, China Railway Engineering Consulting Group ([[China Railway Group Limited|CREC]]) constructed a record-breaking 2 km long Maglev hyperloop test line in Yanggao County, [[Shanxi province]]. Using innovative techniques such as composite N-shaped beams incorporating steel shells and vacuum-sealed concrete, AI-driven magnetic damper and precision engineering afforded China the premiere opportunity to take the lead in the race to be the first country to commercialize a working hyperloop type of rapid transportation system. The spate of tests were conducted successfully with near-zero deviation from baseline indicating all design parameters have met expectation and CREC will proceed to expand the test line and scale up its production in order to finalized testing and develop various operation protocols to meet the challenges of large-scale deployment. Furthermore, unlike most current methodology used in various research test projects around the world, the highly advanced technology employed in the Chinese vacuum-tube test line and the capsule unit ensure scalability, maximum safety and ultimate comfort of the riders.<ref name="The-Star-March-2025">{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2025/03/20/how-china-is-solving-the-nightmare-that-killed-elon-musks-hyperloop |title=How China is solving the nightmare that killed Elon Musk's Hyperloop |work=TheStar |first=Stephen |last=Chen |date=20 March 2025 |access-date=20 March 2025 |archive-date=20 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320000000/https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2025/03/20/how-china-is-solving-the-nightmare-that-killed-elon-musks-hyperloop |url-status=live}} [https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/how-china-is-solving-the-nightmare-that-killed-elon-musk-s-hyperloop/ar-AA1BhqT0#:~:text=China's%20solution%3A%20composite%20N%2Dshaped,shells%20and%20vacuum%2Dsealed%20concrete.&text=Inside%2C%20the%20team%20created%20a,by%20more%20than%20a%20third. Alt URL]</ref>

Currently, plans are in place to initiate a route between [[Shanghai]] and [[Beijing]] cutting travel time from 4 hours when utilizing high-speed bullet trains to under 90 minutes with the vacuum-tube transport traveling at {{cvt|1000|km/h|mph|round=50}}.<ref name="The-Star-March-2025"/>

==== South Korea ====

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|U.S.

|2016

|Defunct (2018)<ref>{{Cite web|last=O'Kane|first=Sean|date=December 14, 2018|title=Hyperloop startup Arrivo is shutting down as workers are laid off|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/14/18128848/hyperloop-arrivo-furloughs-layoffs-money-trouble|url-status=live|website=[[The Verge]]|access-date=25 March 2019|archive-date=25 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325075632/https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/14/18128848/hyperloop-arrivo-furloughs-layoffs-money-trouble}}</ref>

|Ended hyperloop development in November 2017 in favor of [[maglev]] transportation. Shut down in 2018.

|-

|[[DGWHyperloop]]

|India

|2015

|Active

|<ref>{{cite web |title=DGWHyperloop - India's Own Hyperloop |url=https://www.dgwhyperloop.in/ |website=www.dgwhyperloop.in |access-date=11 February 2024}}</ref>{{primary inline|date=August 2025}}

|-

|Hardt Hyperloop

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|2016

|Active

|<ref>{{cite web |title=Hardt Hyperloop |url=https://www.hardt.global/ |website=Hardt Hyperloop |access-date=11 February 2024}}</ref>{{primary inline|date=August 2025}}

|-

|Hyperloop Italia

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|2020

|Active

||Subsidiary of [[Hyperloop Transportation Technologies]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Hyperloop Italia - Una nuova frontiera per la mobilità |url=https://hyperloopitalia.com/ |website=Hyperloop Italia |access-date=11 February 2024}}</ref>{{primary inline|date=August 2025}}

|-style="background-color:#CCC;

|[[Hyperloop One]]

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|2014

|Shut down (2023)

|Ended development of passenger travel in February 2022 to focus on freight.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-hyperloop-layoffs-passenger-travel-cargo-transport-2022-2 |title=Virgin Hyperloop lays off half of its employees as it pivots away from passenger travel |first=Yoonji |last=Han |work=Business Insider |___location=US |date=22 February 2022 |access-date=6 May 2022 |archive-date=20 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520091152/https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-hyperloop-layoffs-passenger-travel-cargo-transport-2022-2 |url-status=live}}</ref> Shut down in December 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Kane |first=Sean |date=21 December 2023 |title=Hyperloop One is reportedly shutting down |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/21/hyperloop-one-shutting-down/ |access-date=14 August 2025}}</ref>

|-

|[[Hyperloop Transportation Technologies]]

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|2013

|Active

|<ref>{{cite web |title=Hyperloop Transportation Technologies |url=https://www.hyperlooptt.com/ |website=HyperloopTT |access-date=11 February 2024}}</ref>{{primary inline|date=August 2025}}

|-style="background-color:#CCC;

|[[Nevomo]]

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|2019

|Active

||<ref>{{cite web |title=Swisspod Our Story |url=https://www.swisspod.com/our-journey |website=www.swisspod.com |access-date=11 February 2024}}</ref>{{primary inline|date=August 2025}}

|-

|[[TransPod]]

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|2015

|Active

|<ref>{{cite web |title=Homepage |url=https://www.transpod.com/ |website=TransPod |access-date=11 February 2024}}</ref>{{primary inline|date=August 2025}}

|-

|Zeleros

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|2016

|Active

||<ref>{{cite web |title=Zeleros Hyperloop - Welcome to the future of transportation |url=https://zeleros.com/ |access-date=11 February 2024}}</ref>{{primary inline|date=August 2025}}

|-

|TuTr Hyperloop

|India

|2022

|Active

||<ref>{{cite web |title=TuTr Hyperloop - Welcome to the TuTr Hyperloop |url=https://tutr.tech/ |access-date=11 February 2024}}</ref>{{primary inline|date=August 2025}}

|}

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* [[Swissmetro]] was a proposal to run a maglev train in a low-pressure environment. Concessions were granted to Swissmetro in the early 2000s to connect the Swiss cities of St. Gallen, Zurich, Basel, and Geneva. Studies of commercial feasibility reached differing conclusions and the vactrain was never built.<ref name="swissmetro"/>

* [[ET3 Global Alliance]] (ET3) was founded by Daryl Oster in 1997 with the goal of establishing a global transportation system using passenger capsules in frictionless [[magnetic levitation|maglev]] full-vacuum tubes. Oster received interest from Elon Musk potentially investing in a {{convert|3|mi|km|0|adj=on}} prototype of ET3's proposed design.<ref name="denver20130809"/><ref name="futurist20131030"/>{{update after|2015|6|17}}

* In 2003 [[Franco Cotana]] led the development of Pipenet, with a {{convert|100|m|yd|abbr=on}}|adj=mid|-long}} {{convert|1.25|m|yd|abbr=on|adj=mid|-diameter}} diameter prototype system constructed in Italy in 2005, with a vision to use an evacuated tube for moving freight at up to {{convert|2000|kph|mph|abbr=on}} using linear synchronous motors and magnetic levitation. However development stopped after funding ceased.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Hyperloop that never was |date=5 May 2021 |url=https://sifted.eu/articles/italy-deeptech-pipenet/ |publisher=Sifted |access-date=2021-08-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505172003/https://sifted.eu/articles/italy-deeptech-pipenet/ |archive-date=2021-05-05}}</ref>

* In August 2010, a vacuum-based maglev train able to move at {{convert|1000|km/h|mph|abbr=on|order=flip|round=50}} was proposed for China, projected to cost {{CNY|10–20 million|link=yes}} ({{US$|2.95 million}} at the August 2010 exchange rate) more per kilometer than regular high-speed rail.<ref name="engadgetsumohurd20100804"/> In 2018, a short {{convert|45|m|yd|abbr=on}} loop test track was completed to test some parts of the technology.<ref>{{cite news |title=China testing super-maglev train that runs at 1,000 km/h |url=http://en.people.cn/n3/2018/0311/c90000-9435653.html |access-date=2021-08-26 |publisher=People's Daily Online |date=11 March 2018 |archive-date=24 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211024003226/http://en.people.cn/n3/2018/0311/c90000-9435653.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

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* [[Gravity train]]

* [[Gravity-vacuum transit]]

* [[Ground -effect train]]

* [[High-speed rail]]

* [[Kantrowitz limit]]

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<!--<ref name="gizmag 201502">{{cite news |url=http://www.gizmag.com/agreement-reached-to-build-first-passenger-hyperloop/36285 |title=California is getting a Hyperloop, but not where you think |work=Gizmag |first=Eric |last=Mack |date=26 February 2015 |access-date=2 March 2015}}</ref>-->

<ref name="nova20130813">{{cite news |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/techarticle/hyperloop-and-high-speed-trains/ |title=Promise and Perils of Hyperloop and Other High-Speed Trains |series=[[Nova (American TV series)|Nova Next]] |work=PBS.org |first=Tim |last=De Chant |date=13 August 2013 |access-date=24 September 2013 |archive-date=14 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914132501/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/tech/hyperloop-and-high-speed-trains/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

<!--<ref name="BizWeek">{{cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-08-12/revealed-elon-musk-explains-the-hyperloop |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130813011222/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-08-12/revealed-elon-musk-explains-the-hyperloop |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 August 2013 |title=Revealed: Elon Musk Explains the Hyperloop, the Solar-Powered High-Speed Future of Inter-City Transportation |last=Vance |first=Ashlee |date=13 August 2013 |work=Bloomberg Businessweek |access-date=13 August 2013}}</ref>-->