Will we use hyperloops to commute in the future?

(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/Neuhausengroup)

Question from Ewan Bailey

A hyperloop–an enclosed steel tube through which a vehicle moves at more than 965 kilometres per hour – could one day be used for commuting, but we’re still some way off.

Tesla founder Elon Musk and Virgin boss Richard Branson are among those trying to turn the tech into reality, with Virgin building a full-sized pod in 2017 in Nevada which reached speeds of 387 kilometres an hour. However, experts predict we won’t see a usable hyperloop until at least 2030.


Answered by Mark Smith for Brain Dump in How It Works issue 135.

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