What does Hyperloop Look Like Around the World?

Humans have always been driven to find the next big thing. We constantly crave “better,” and every year chase after faster and thinner smartphones, even waiting outside stores days before they are released. However, when considering transportation, there has lacked an innovative, next big thing. Considering cars continue to crawl along roadways on our traffic-congested commutes, trains snake slowly along outdated rail systems, and airplane seats continue to shrink, why has our development in transportation stalled? Hyperloop is the avant-garde solution.

The proposed Hyperloop system would connect major cities and rural areas for faster transportation at fractional emissions

A Global Endeavor

So where exactly does Hyperloop exist? The simple answer is nowhere - at least not yet. The implementation process is lengthy, involving national and local politics, environmental reviews, government cost considerations, and geographical planning. Considering the current process to build a rapid transit line (metro, subway), it typically takes 5 years to test, research and plan the architecture, and another 5 years once drilling begins. As Hyperloop technology was introduced only six years ago, many companies across the globe have secured government contracts and private testing facilities.

Here are some of the major players:

Virgin Hyperloop One

Arguably the leading organization, Virgin Hyperloop One has built a team of 280+ engineers, technicians, welders and machinists and has raised more than US $400 million in capital. The firm works to build a network of public and private partners to scale an integrated supply chain ecosystem, and are involved in many global projects. In July 28, 2016, Hyperloop One opened a 100,000 sq ft tooling and machine shop called Metalworks in Las Vegas which complements their open-air propulsion Test and Safety Site in Nevada. Most notably, in July 2017 Virgin Hyperloop One successfully tested a full hyperloop that consisted of a magnetically levitating test sled reaching 112 km/h in just over five seconds.

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) is the first Hyperloop company created and employs more than 800 engineers and professionals. Unique to HTT, the company was founded via Jumpstarter and initially amassed 420 initial contributors. Its test facility is located in Toulouse, France, and consists of two test tracks used to perform tests. HTT’s value proposition is it developed a real-world smart composite material called Vibranium which is 8x lighter than aluminum and 10x stronger than steel alternatives. Currently, HTT has agreements with China’s southwestern province of Guizhou to construct a 10km long Hyperloop track in the city of Tongren.

TransPod

TransPod Inc. is a Canadian company which designs and manufactures ultra-high speed tube transportation technology and vehicles. TransPod engineering differs slightly to Hyperloop as it uses moving electromagnetic fields to propel the vehicles - rather than compressed air. In July 2017, TransPod released an initial cost study which outlines the viability of building a hyperloop line between Windsor and Toronto. The study indicates a TransPod tube system would cost half the projected cost of a high-speed rail line along the same route, while operating at more than 4x the top speed.

Hardt Global Mobility

Emerging from the TU Delft Hyperloop Team who won the 2016 SpaceX Pod Competition, Hardt focuses on solutions for heavily overpopulated cities, inaccessible rural areas, and unhealthy industrial urbanization. Currently, the Dutch team is setting up a full-scale testing center in Delft, and plans to prioritize European Hyperloop Systems. Hardt represents the emerging wave of University talent driven to make an impact for a sustainable future.

Crowdsourcing the Solution (Who’s leading the charge?)

Fortunately for the future of Hyperloop technologies, increasingly more and more people are becoming involved due to crowdsourcing competitions. Expanding the pool of resources beyond corporations increases a greater diversity of thinking and helps spread reach.

SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition

Sponsored by Elon Musk and SpaceX, the Hyperloop Pod Competition invites Universities from around the world to design a subscale prototype to run through SpaceX’s mile-long test track. The week long event involves numerous testing stages and encourages teams to brainstorm solutions and promote the technology. During the most recent 2019 competition, The Queen’s Hyperloop Design Team represented one of 30 participating Universities out of an applicant pool of 1,000+ teams. The winning team, WARR Hyperloop from the Technical University of Munich reached a top speed of 463.5 km/h signifying the potential for Hyperloop.

Hyperloop One Global Challenge

In 2016, Virgin Hyperloop One launched a challenge to select locations for construction of the world’s first Hyperloop networks. Judged by an international panel of five judges, both governments and investors submitted a comprehensive proposal for commercial, transport, economic and policy cases for their cities or countries. Ten winning routes were invited to work closely with Hyperloop One on viability studies to try and bring their proposals to reality.

Where is Hyperloop being built?

December 2016: Hyperloop Transportation Technologies and the government of Abu Dhabi announced plans to conduct a feasibility study on a Hyperloop link between the UAE capital and Al Ain, reducing travel time between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain to just under 10-minutes.

September 2017: HTT announced and signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh state government of India to build a track from Amaravathi to Vijayawada in a public-private partnership, and suggested that the more than one hour trip could be reduced to 5 minutes through the project.

June 2018: Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry reached an agreement with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies to develop its high-speed vacuum transport technology in Ukraine.

So What’s Next?

Evidently, Hyperloop has experienced exponential growth and has evolved from hypothetical venture to a promising system. Globally, many private firms have agreements with governments to begin testing and design, while the concept has prompted the emergence of public challenges. Transportation innovation has stalled relative to technologies such as AI-enabled platforms or even 3D printing, and Hyperloop presents a real challenge to the traditional methods of transportation.

Hyperloop Around the World