Hyperloop is Making Political Progress!
The Hyperloop, a revolutionary vacuum tube transport system proposed by Elon Musk last summer, is really making a splash in the Californian community. Hyperloop has taken the interest of many reputable people, including Dr. Sandeep Sovani, the head of Global Automotive Strategy at ANSYS.
Now it seems that even in the political world, this concept is gaining traction. The main competitor for the Hyperloop concept is the California High Speed Rail Authority, which has established plans to build an HSR link between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Last fall, a poll revealed declining public interest in this expensive project, leaving an opportunity to pursue a better alternative.
While the Hyperloop may be just a concept right now, many of the world’s best engineers are quickly mobilizing to make this a reality and a full working prototype could be completed by 2015 (see Hyperloop timeline). A recent crowdsourcing effort for the project ended up with hundreds of minds from across the world enlisting their expertise in aiding this initiative.
I think it’s time that we start creating an environment in the transportation industry that encourages innovation. While there is certainly more risk involved, we cannot afford to continue on with our existing technologies. The Hyperloop concept has the potential to make flight travel redundant. With speeds up to 760MPH, the Hyperloop could carry passengers from LA to San Francisco in half an hour. To put that in Canadian terms, that’s the same distance as a trip from Toronto to Montreal! Think of the possibilities…
Beyond the Automobile 