Last year, when Elon Musk officially introduced his idea for the Hyperloop, a high-speed transit system, many balked at the concept and called it science fiction.
However, plans for building the first section of Hyperloop are alive and well for the supersonic train that can carry passengers at speeds up to 800 miles per hour. Now, Musk has founded a new division called Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, which has employed hundreds of experts and researchers to work on the project.
Most impressively? Those experts state that not only can we have a Hyperloop train running in California within a decade, but that it will cost between $7 and $16 billion, which is actually a lot less than the high-speed rail system that the state is working on.
This morning, Dirk Ahlborn, the CEO and cofounder of JumpStartFund, the group overseeing Hyperloop, released a 68-page crowdstorm document outlining their progress on the project, as well as new artwork of the train and its passenger-carrying pods. There are some changes from Musk's previously released files, including a more aerodynamic front on the train. The pods are also now capsules loaded into outer shells. The document even outlines ticket classes.
"This document updates the public at large while allowing us to brainstorm with the crowd on other innovative solutions," says Ahlbord. "We believe crowdstorm initiatives like this one represent the future of how big ideas will become reality."
The initial idea for Hyperloop was to carry passengers to and from Los Angeles and San Francisco. However, now, Ahlborn is thinking bigger: covering the entire U.S. with Hyperloop transportation. Hyperloop's end-game sees the country covered in a network of Hyperloop transportation options, carrying passengers across the U.S.
Ahlborn realizes that building this dream is a challenge, but it's not stopping him.
"When I talk to people they look at me and say, 'Oh, you're building a spaceship,' " says Ahlborn. "The technical issues are not the problem. ... That is something we've already defined. We've found solutions to all of the problems. There are technologies out there."
Ahlborn's document also points out that because the Hyperloop's construction costs are so low, that also translates into lower ticket prices for consumers. This puts the Hyperloop in direct competition with the airline industry, which will probably push back against the train's concept.
However, if Musk's vision becomes reality, it's the American public, those who commute and travel often, who will win. The country is in desperate need of high-speed public transportation and alternatives to airline travel, which has become both expensive, annoying and uncomfortable for travelers.
If the Hyperloop is something you're interested in, let Ahlborn and his team know by commenting on the JumpStartFund website.
