In a significant development, in a statement Richard Branson’s Virgin Hyperloop said, it has completed the world’s first passenger ride on a super high-speed levitating pod system. The development marks the passing of a key safety test in this next generation transportation technology which will transform human and cargo transportation in the coming future.
In a statement Virgin Hyperloop executives Josh Giegel, along with its Chief Technology Officer, and Director of Passenger Experience Sara Luchian said, it recorded speeds of up to 107 miles per hour (172 km per hour) at the company’s DevLoop test site in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“I had the true pleasure of seeing history made before my very eyes,” said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Virgin Hyperloop and Group Chairman and Chief Executive of DP World.
A hyperloop system uses magnetic levitation to allow near-silent transportation of goods and passengers. Using this next generation technology, a trip between New York and Washington would take only 30 minutes, i.e., twice as fast as a commercial passenger jet and four times faster than a high-speed train.
Virgin Hyperloop has run more than 400 tests without human passengers at its Nevada test site.
The company is working toward safety certification by 2025 and commercial operations by 2030, said Virgin Hyperloop.
