When Elon Musk first proposed the Hyperloop -- a high-speed, solar-powered rail system that would transport people between San Francisco and LA in just 35 minutes -- few people believed anyone living today would ever see it come to be.
And yet, in the hands of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), it seems that the "fifth mode of transportation" may become a reality sooner than anyone expected. Since 2013, the company has taken several crucial steps towards creating the mass-transit system envisioned by Musk. Just last month, they announced an agreement whereby Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum and Aecom will be lending their expertise to the project.
A Swiss company currently based in Cologne, Oerlikon Leybold specializes in the creation of systems that generate vacuums and in gas management engineering. Aecom, meanwhile, is is a global provider of professional, technical and management support services to a number of areas - one of which is transportation. These companies will be helping HTT to build a Hyperloop system in exchange for stock options.
In so doing, they have joined a team that includes engineers and specialists from major companies like Boeing, SpaceX, and NASA. And as Dirk Ahlborn (CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies) explains, this latest partnership lends an added legitimacy to the project. "It’s a validation of the fact that our model works," he said. “It’s the next step.”
In addition to offering rapid transit between San Fransisco and LA, Hyperloops could connect major cities all over the world. Credit: HTT/JumpStartFund
Musk originally proposed the idea for the Hyperloop in 2012, apparently in response to hearing about the sad state of California's $70 billion high-speed rail initiative. A year later, he released a 57-page alpha paper describing the concept in detail - where a series of transit pods would be supported by a soft air cushion and propelled forward via magnetic induction and electromagnetic pulses.
At the time, Musk claimed that he was too busy with his other projects - namely, developing electronic cars for the domestic market and reusable rockets for space exploration. And so, he published the paper online as an open-source document and encouraged others who might be interested in pursuing it.
This declaration coincided with the beta launch of JumpStartFund, a startup out of El Secundo, California, that combines elements of crowdfunding and crowd-sourcing to take on big projects. Together with SpaceX, JumpStartFund created HTT as a subsidiary to oversee all the necessary requirements for creating the system. And it just so happens that HeroX Co-Founder Peter Diamandis is on their Board of Directors.
The concept calls for pod cars suspended on a cushion of air and propelled forward by magnetic induction and EM pulses. Credit: Tesla Motors
JumpStartFund created Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Inc, which brought together engineers willing to spend their free time working on the design in exchange for stock options. By December of 2014, these engineers came up with a 76-page report (entitled “Crowdstorm”) that spelled out exactly how they planned to proceed.
By their estimates, they believed that they can complete the Hyperloop in just ten years, and at a cost of $16 billion. And with their new partners on board, HTT plans to begin construction on a full-scale, passenger-ready Hyperloop in 2016. The prototype will run for 8 kilometers (5 miles) through Quay Valley, a planned community located next to Interstate 5, midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Ahiborn claims he already has many investors lined up, and with Oerlikon Leybold and Aecom helping with the technical side of things, it is clear that that the prototype will be a real thing and not an empty promise. Based on the success of this prototype track, and the continued support of angel investors and technological enthusiasts, construction on a full-length version could begin within a few years' time.
Artist's concept of the Hyperloop test track, which will be located in California's Quay Valley. Credit: HTT/JumpStartFund
Naturally, there will be many engineering challenges associated with building a full-length version of the Hyperloop. But as Carl Brockmeyer, Oerlikon's own head of business development, is confident these can be overcome: “I don’t think the construction hurdles are significant compared to other technologies that are already out there." he said. "From a technical point of view, it’s not a challenge. We are used to much higher and harsher applications.”
Without a doubt, there will be plenty of logistical issues that need to be worked out in advance, not to mention the hurdles of zoning, local politics, and environmental assessments. The price tag itself is still a sticky issue, as well, one which will need to be worked out if HTT plans to offer it as an affordable alternative to air travel and current systems of mass transit.
In short, there is still a long way to go. However, when it was first proposed by Musk, it was clear that what the Hyperloop truly needed more than anything was people who actually believed in it, an army of engineers to oversee construction of it, and enough money to get it off the ground. With this latest partnership, the Hyperloop has the first two covered. All that remains is a long-term, multi-billion dollar investment to see it through to completion. Given Musk's reputation and prolific career thus far, it's not much a stretch of the imagination that any needed funding will come through.
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