In another “it’s actually happening” moment with the hyperloop today, we get an updated look at what is probably the most advanced hyperloop system developed so far. We saw SpaceX’s test track earlier this year, but the mile-long tube that the rocket company built is only meant for testing propulsion systems and it isn’t full-scale.
Hyperloop One’s track in Nevada is the first that could support a full-scale pod to carry people and cargo. The company released the first pictures of their progress since installing the first tube last November.
Rob Lloyd, CEO of Hyperloop One, is in Dubai today for the Middle East Rail conference. The company has seen strong interest in the region and announced a deal last year to bring the first hyperloop network to Dubai.
For the occasion, the CEO unveiled the first image of what they are calling the “DevLoop” – a hyperloop test track.
The final version is supposed to be 1-mile-long, but it currently stretches on 500 meters in the Nevada desert. The tube measures 3.3 meters in diameter and the entire Hyperloop test structure weighs over one million kilograms.
The images are really impressive:
The system should be put into use in the coming months for the first full system test of a hyperloop.
Josh Giegel, President of Engineering and Co-founder of Hyperloop One, was at the site in Nevada during Lloyd’s presentation, but he joined via video conference:
“I am so excited to be able to share images of DevLoop at Middle East Rail and update the world on our progress. Our team of more than 150 engineers, technicians and fabricators have been transforming what was, just over five months ago, a barren stretch of desert, into a hive of activity and now home to the world’s first full-scale Hyperloop test site. We have come so far in such a short space of time, and our team of over 240 employees are working tirelessly to eliminate the barriers of distance and time and reinvent transportation.”
While there’s still a long way to go before we can witness an actual commercial application of a hyperloop system, whether for cargo or passengers, we are definitely witnessing progress here.
Here’s a quick video:
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