Today, Hyperloop One, following yesterday’s name change from Hyperloop Tech and the announcement of the ‘Hyperloop One Global Challenge’, unveiled its propulsion system for its own hyperloop technology at its open air test track in North Las Vegas.

The company went one step further and offered a demonstration of its full-scale system prototype, which was built in less than 6 months according to CEO Rob Lloyd.

Lloyd described the system as a proof that the hyperloop is not just a pipe dream and they are actually “making it happen”:

“It’s real, it’s happening now, and we’re going to demonstrate how this company is making it happen,”

The startup installed a test vehicle, which engineers nicknamed “sled”, on their propulsion open-air test track. A cargo or passenger pod would normally be built around the sled (see further down), but for now the vehicle is only equipped with Hyperloop One’s electromagnetic propulsion system to showcase how the hyperloop will accelerate and travel on the track.

Co-founder and CTO Brogan BamBrogan said that the system, which is powered by a linear-electric motor, can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 1 second and generate 2.5Gs of force.

Here’s the demo:

The company said that the sled achieved a speed close to 400 mph on this short distance. The full-scale system in near vacuum should be able to achieve speeds greater than 700 mph.

Hyperloop One CEO added that the company is still on track for the first routes to be operational as soon as 2021.

Here’s a quick video of the propulsion system transforming into a full-scale hyperloop pod and going into a hyperloop tube:

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