Virgin Hyperloop. The first human passengers travel in a BIG-designed pod, sent at 100 miles per hour through a near-airless tunnel in the Nevada desert. How was the short test trip, and will the Virgin Hyperloop: London, Edinburgh, in 45 minutes be a realistic goal?
Virgin Hyperloop: The First Two passengers
For the first time, two human passengers have traveled in one of Virgin's levitating hyperloop capsules, sent at 100 miles per hour through a near-airless tunnel in the Nevada desert. Josh Giegel, CTO and co-founder of Virgin Hyperloop, and Sara Luchian, Virgin Hyperloop's director of passenger experience, were the two passengers to ride the new form of transportation for the first time on 8 November 2020.
The company's 15-second-long test trip was carried out at its DevLoop site 35 miles north of Las Vegas in Nevada, which comprises a 500-meter concrete tube located in a barren stretch of desert. The maiden voyage took place in the newly released two-seater XP-2 vehicle, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Danish studio Kilo Design, which was built to demonstrate that passengers can travel safely inside a hyperloop pod.
First human passengers travel in BIG-designed hyperloop pod Virgin Hyperloop.
After the passengers were strapped into the capsule's plush white seats, an airlock system was used to bring the pod in and out of the semi-vacuum environment. The XP-2 vehicle was then electromagnetically propelled through the tunnel at speed just over 100 miles per hour (mph) before coming to a stop, with the journey lasting around 15 seconds.
Virgin Hyperloop: Speeds Of Up To 760 Mph
When the system is fully realized, the singular capsule that Giegel and Luchian traveled in will be larger, able to seat up to 28 passengers, and will aim to reach speeds of up to 760 mph with a longer track. The hyperloop pod was sent at 100 miles per hour through a semi-vacuum tunnel in the Nevada desert.
Josh Giegel, CTO and co-founder of Virgin Hyperloop, and Sara Luchian, Virgin Hyperloop's director of passenger experience, were the two passengers to ride the new form of transportation for the first time on 8 November 2020
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The system employs mag-lev — the same technology that is used by high-speed trains in Japan. The train's electromagnetic levitation means there is no friction, unlike traditional trains that run on tracks.
The pod, which was nicknamed Pegasus for the test, is mounted on several wheels that retract as the magnetic levitation comes into force to avoid any drag. Inside, a stepped floor allows for easy entry and exit, while circular windows grant views down the tunnel. These elements were designed to complement the pod exterior, which boasts a soft, pill-shaped form.
The interior seats' extended armrests double up as storage for safety equipment, oxygen tanks, and lighting.
Endless Opportunities For Virgins Future Hyperloop
"When designing the future of transportation and the slate is blank, the opportunities are endless," said BIG's Jakob Lange. "We've needed to adjust our way of thinking away from the classic modes of transporting like trains, planes, and metros, and towards a new vehicle typology, closest to that of a spaceship."
"Hyperloop allows passengers to get from A to B in a split second, and Pegasus provides the feeling of safety, convenience, and a smooth journey," he added. "When we started in a garage over six years ago, the goal was simple – to transform the way people move," said Giegel. "Today, we took one giant leap toward that ultimate dream, not only for me but for all of us who are looking towards a moonshot right here on Earth."
BIG designed the pod interior for the Virgin Hyperloop to have soft, circular forms.
"Hyperloop is about so much more than the technology. It's about what it enables," added Luchian. "To me, the passenger experience ties it all together. And what better way to design the future than actually to experience it first-hand?"
Virgin Hyperloop: Elon Musk's Concept
Elon Musk first unveiled the concept for the hyperloop in 2013 and developed it through his company SpaceX. He then open-sourced the technology and is no longer directly involved in its development. Virgin Hyperloop was founded in 2014 as Hyperloop Technologies, before changing its name to Hyperloop One in 2016 and then to Virgin Hyperloop One after being acquired by Richard Branson's company. It is now called Virgin Hyperloop.
The two-seater XP-2 vehicle was designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Kilo Design.
The company's main competitor is Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, which unveiled a prototype of a full-scale hyperloop passenger capsule designed by Priestmangoode back in October 2018. Last month, Virgin Hyperloop announced building The Hyperloop Certification Center (HCC) facility in West Virginia. Also designed by BIG, the center will include a six-mile-long tube to test and certify the high-speed transportation system.
Virgin Hyperloop: What Is It?
A hyperloop is a stretch of vacuum-drawn tubes through which capsules can be shot. Because these capsules experience almost no air resistance, they can achieve speeds of up to 1,200 kilometers per hour on paper. Also, the concept reduces CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. Hyperloop One recently joined Virgin, the Richard Branson company. In an interview with CNBC, the billionaire stated that the Hyperloop could be operational within two to four years, provided that governments respond quickly. The billionaire also noted that a Hyperloop system could be cheaper and faster than a traditional rail network.
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"As the owner of a rail network, this is something that I want to be involved with," says Branson. "Consumers would love to travel from London to Edinburgh within 45 minutes. This is possible with a Hyperloop."
The Virgin Hyperloop: Dubai And Abu Dhabi
Together the parties want to realize the first hyperloop route between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This route should make it possible to travel from city to city within 12 minutes. By way of comparison: you take over 2 hours by car. According to Hyperloop One, the route must ultimately be capable of carrying 10,000 passengers per hour, or 5,000 passengers in each direction.
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