Hyperloop Technologies, one of the companies vying to build Elon Musk’s (other) vision of future transportation, is planning on building a test track in North Las Vegas. Here’s what the company thinks it will look like.


Nevada Is Getting a Hyperloop Test Track Hyperloop Technologies plans to build a hyperloop test track for in North Las Vegas—and it wants to Read more

The track will be open to the air rather than in a tube, a big departure from the plans for a full-on Hyperloop, which would run in a tube mostly devoid of air. The purpose of the open-air test track is mostly to trial the systems used to accelerate the pod up to hundreds of miles an hour: in this case, it will be shooting a ‘test vehicle’ up to 300mph, in just half a mile of track, taking a grand total of two seconds. Presumably, there is a large pile of mattresses at the other end.

It’s a long way from being the future of mass transport, but still: from white paper to high-speed electromagnetic catapult in two years is pretty darn good.


[YouTube]