Virgin Hyperloop has once again launched a campaign for their ultra-fast levitation transport network and released a video showing their design plans for passenger pods. In a tweet from CEO and founder Josh Geigel, the company shows some new pod ideas in an effort to explain its progress so far and how the hyperloop works. “Basically, quotes are needed for the whole thing,” Gareth Dennis, a railway engineer, and critic of Virgin Hyperloop wrote in a reply.
“What happened here is [Josh Giggle] paid for a glossy video that says“everything works and is great” with nothing but some CGI and a huge eyeball,” he wrote in another. While critics may be skeptical of how successful the effort at hyperloop technology is, investors and the U.S. government are certainly not. This month, a $1.2 trillion infrastructure investment was passed by the U.S. Senate that specifically included the development and installation of hyperloop technology.
It will now be eligible for federal funding, in the hope that the United States can eventually launch the network. Hyperloops are high-speed transport systems where the pod is inserted through a vacuum in a closed tube system. Pushing at a speed of 1,200 kilometers (750 miles per hour) per hour, the pods use strong magnets to rotate over the surface of the tunnel, eliminating friction and reducing the G-force of the passengers.
In November 2020, Virgin proved the technology to be effective, successfully completing their first passenger test at a further 170 km / h (105 mph). “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked, ‘Is Hyperloop safe?’ “Through today’s passenger test, we have successfully answered this question, proving that the Virgin Hyperloop can not only safely enclose one person in a zero environment, but also has a thoughtful approach to company safety that has been verified by an independent third party.”
For now, the teaser video needs to understand the future of our hyperloop, but it could be revolutionary if the technology works. Virgin claims that the pods will be fully battery-powered, which will greatly reduce emissions compared to conventional trains.
