Hyperloop set to be up to ten times more energy-efficient than an airplane

New York (Urban Transport News): Virgin Hyperloop One, the world’s leading hyperloop company, on Friday announced that its groundbreaking hyperloop system is poised to be the most energy-efficient mode of mass transportation in the world. In conjunction with Climate Week New York, Los Angeles-based Virgin Hyperloop One made its announcement from Rockefeller Plaza at Rockefeller Center in New York City, where it is showcasing its XP-1 test vehicle from its Nevada test track.

Virgin Hyperloop One also announced that it is joining the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s CE100 network, which brings together businesses, innovators, cities, governments, and universities committed to accelerating the transition to a circular economy. Sir Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group, said:

The only way to address this mounting crisis is head-on. We need big ideas like hyperloop to reach zero-emission transport while rapidly connecting people and goods.

Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One, said:

As the world’s population grows, especially our urban populations, global demands for rapid, seamless travel, and more efficient deliveries will continue to rise. We must meet demand in a way that is efficient, clean and protects the future of our planet. Hyperloop technology can be that radical solution, setting the bar for the fastest, most energy-efficient, and sustainable form of travel ever created.

Sustainability

Hyperloop will be able to transport people and goods at nearly 700 miles per hour in depressurized environments via magnetic levitation. It will be able to carry more people than a subway, at airline speeds and with zero direct emissions. By combining an ultra-efficient electric motor, magnetic levitation, and a low-drag environment, the Virgin Hyperloop One system will be 5 to 10 times more energy-efficient than an airplane and faster than high-speed rail using less energy. 

Virgin Hyperloop One’s infrastructure can also support the creation of renewable energy by integrating solar panel technology across the outdoor transport tube system. Depending on the climate, the integration of solar technology could generate two-thirds of a route’s projected energy needs. Virgin Hyperloop One is currently working with the Indian government of Maharashtra on a route between Pune and Mumbai.

With a combined population of 25 million, the regional city pair sees more than 75 million commuting trips annually, a number which is expected to skyrocket to 130 million by 2026. The implementation of a regional Virgin Hyperloop One system could reduce local greenhouse gas emissions by up to 150,000 tons (300 million pounds) annually while creating 1.8 million new jobs and $36 billion in economic impact across the region.

Joining the Circular Economy

In addition to Virgin Hyperloop One’s commitment to reduce the environmental impact of the transportation industry, Virgin Hyperloop One joins the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy 100 Network (CE100) as an ‘emerging innovator’. The CE100 brings together businesses, innovators, cities, governments, and universities committed to accelerating the transition to a circular economy.

By joining the CE100 network, Virgin Hyperloop One commits to creating a circular hyperloop framework that is restorative and regenerative by design, establishing methods to reuse decommissioned elements of its system and reducing its carbon output. Virgin Hyperloop One is the first mass transportation company to join the prestigious network, which includes companies like Google, Apple, and Unilever. Joe Murphy, CE100 lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said:

We are delighted to welcome Virgin Hyperloop One to the CE100, the world’s leading circular economy network. It is this collaboration among our diverse and dynamic network that enables members to realize circular economy innovation opportunities much faster than they could alone, and we are excited that Virgin Hyperloop One is now part of this community.

Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One, said:

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has done an excellent job of identifying how we can build a thriving, low-carbon economy, and is bringing together world-leading organisations to deliver it.

Hyperloop Progress and American Roadshow

In the United States, ten states are now exploring hyperloop including Missouri, Texas, Colorado, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington, Indiana, and Oregon – in addition to Nevada which hosts the test site. The United States House of Representatives recently fully funded the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao’s New and Emerging Transportation Technologies (NETT) Council, which was established to research and standardize hyperloop technology.

Today’s event at Rockefeller Plaza introduced New Yorkers to energy-efficient hyperloop technology, showcasing the real-world XP-1 test vehicle and allowing passers-by to envision what the introduction of a hyperloop route could mean for their lives when cities were connected like metro stops and the location is no longer a constraint when choosing where to live or work. The Virgin Hyperloop One stop in New York is part of a broader roadshow across the United States, which has already made stops in Dallas-Fort Worth, Kansas City, and Columbus. Following New York, Virgin Hyperloop One will make stops in Raleigh and Washington D.C.