A hyperloop is a transportation method proposed by Tesla and SpaceX founder, Elon Musk, where passengers and cargo are loaded into a pod, and accelerated gradually via electric propulsion, magnetic levitation allows the pod to glides at airline speeds through a low-pressure tube. In July, Hyperloop One became the first company to successful complete the world's first-full scale Hyperloop test, reaching a speed of 192mph at its 500 metre ‘DevLoop’ test track in the Nevada Desert.
The routes proposed by the challenge winners have a combined distance of 4,121 miles and aim to connect 53 urban centres and nearly 150 million people. The chosen routes include:
- US: Cheyenne-Denver-Pueblo
- US: Chicago-Columbus-Pittsburgh
- US: Miami-Orlando
- US: Dallas-Houston
- UK: Edinburgh-London
- UK: Glasgow-Liverpool
- Mexico: Mexico City-Guadalajara
- India: Bengaluru-Chennai
- India: Mumbai-Chennai
- Canada: Toronto-Montreal
“The results of the Hyperloop One Global Challenge far exceeded our expectations,” said Rob Lloyd, CEO of Hyperloop One. “These ten teams each had their unique strengths in showcasing how they will alleviate serious transportation issues in their regions. Studies like this bring us closer to our goal of implementing three full-scale systems operating by 2021.”
Hyperloop One will work with each winning team to validate and analyse their proposals further, and provide initial ridership forecasts, business case and preliminary technical analysis of the route. Another 11 finalist teams will continue to develop their proposals with the support of Hyperloop One.
