Virgin Hyperloop One unveils prototype pod capsule design
The American Virgin Hyperloop One has shown the design of a prototype pod capsule in Dubai, which will eventually be used to transport people between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The company has cooperated with the city’s transportation authority.
Virgin Hyperloop One CEO Rob Lloyd said in an interview with The National that his company spent a year working with the Roads and Transport Authority. This included looking at prices, passenger numbers and the best routes. The route between Abu Dhabi and Dubai should eventually become part of a larger network. The journey between the cities, with a distance of 150km, should take less than 15 minutes with a top speed of more than 1000km/h.
A government report mentions a top speed of 1200 km/h and claims that ten thousand passengers per hour can be transported in both directions. The published photos show two different capsule layouts, one with space for six seated passengers and the other appearing to have space for fourteen seated passengers.
Hyperloop One, which has been called Virgin Hyperloop One since December and also appointed Virgin founder Richard Branson as chairman at the time, already showed a concept of the connection between Abu Dhabi and Dubai in 2016. Tesla CEO Elon Musk presented his idea for the Hyperloop in 2013: a transport system that should be cheaper, faster and more efficient than current means of transport. Virgin Hyperloop One, originally known as Hyperloop Technologies, is one of the companies looking to put the concept into practice.
Photos via Virgin Hyperloop One and The National