Never let it be said that Elon Musk, a serial entrepreneur who was a co-founder of PayPal and the electric car company Tesla Motors, is afraid to think big.
Mr. Musk on Monday harked back to the days of the late-1990s tech bubble — when no idea seemed too big or too expensive — by showing off plans for a project that seems the stuff of science fiction.
The hypothetical project is called the Hyperloop, a high-speed train that would take people to San Francisco from Los Angeles in 30 minutes. That is a speed of almost 800 miles an hour.
The first unanswered question among many for Mr. Musk’s ambitious vision is who exactly would build this 400-mile transportation system. Mr. Musk suggested someone else should do it. But if no one takes the baton, he might do it. Or not.
Beyond that, the details of who would pay for Hyperloop, how it would be built and how long it would take are also unclear. But Mr. Musk theorized that if he devoted all of his energy, he could have a prototype done within one to two years. He estimated the project would cost around $6 billion and tickets would cost $20 per trip.
“It doesn’t seem plausible to me,” said Richard White, a professor of American history at Stanford and author of “Railroaded: The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America.” “I’m suspicious about everything, especially cost.”
Mr. White added, “How’s he going to build this thing for $6 billion? You can’t even build the Bay Bridge for that much money.” The still-unfinished renovations of the Bay Bridge connecting San Francisco and Oakland are expected to cost $6.3 billion.
So don’t pack your bags just yet. In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek on Monday, Mr. Musk said he regretted mentioning the Hyperloop last year, saying that he has no time to work on the project and instead has to run SpaceX and Tesla Motors, his two other companies.
Mr. Musk first mentioned Hyperloop last summer and detailed it further in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek. In July, he announced on Twitter that he would unveil the designs for the high-speed train on Aug. 12. As promised, a 57-page “alpha design” plan was posted online Monday that explained how such a train would work.
The Latest Bing News on:
Hyperloop
- IIT-Madras holds global summit on Hyperloopon April 24, 2024 at 8:45 pm
Madras organised a Global Hyperloop Conference on April 20 and 21 at its research park. Titled ‘Parivahan’, the conference aimed to introduce the futuristic concept of hyperloop to India, providing a ...
- IIT Madras to hold global hyperloop contest next yearon April 23, 2024 at 1:14 pm
IIT Madras hosts global hyperloop conference to introduce futuristic transportation concept, leading up to 2025 competition.
- IIT Madras Hosts Global Hyperloop Conferenceon April 23, 2024 at 12:52 pm
Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) organized a Global Hyperloop Conference on 20th and 21st April 2024 at its Research Park.Titled ‘Parivahan’, the Conference aimed to introduce the ...
- The future of travel is near: Europe’s longest tunnel for testing hyperloop technology opens in the Netherlandson April 22, 2024 at 4:59 pm
Europe’s longest tunnel for testing hyperloop technology opened last month in the Netherlands, with operators hoping passengers can one day be whisked from Amsterdam to Barcelona in a couple of hours.
- State-of-the-art testing center pushes forward with new high-speed mode of transportation: 'A significant milestone'on April 20, 2024 at 3:15 am
Hyperloop technology is gaining speed because of the projected benefits over traditional planes, trains, and automobiles. State-of-the-art testing center pushes forward with new high-speed mode of ...
- Startup co-founded by Romanian targets EUR 7 mln to advance hyperloop technology for high-speed transportationon April 18, 2024 at 1:23 am
Swisspod Technologies, a startup founded by Romanian Denis Tudor and Cyril Dénéréaz, announced a new round of EUR 200,000 on SeedBlink as part of a total funding round of EUR 7 million. The funds will ...
- Hyperloop trains could be the future of travel as scientists conduct tests in Europeon April 14, 2024 at 11:45 pm
Testing began in the Netherlands last month for fast, energy-efficient trains that could one day allow people to travel long distances in a short period of time.
- Netherlands hyperloop aims to improve transportation of people and freight with new technologyon April 3, 2024 at 7:53 am
A quarter-mile white steel tube running alongside a railway line in the windswept northern Netherlands could usher in a new era in the transportation of people and freight. The tube is the heart ...
- Europe’s longest hyperloop test track revives futuristic tube transport hypeon March 27, 2024 at 7:29 pm
Operators hope newly opened Dutch track will help prove feasibility of high-speed shuttle system The longest hyperloop test track in Europe has opened, raising faint hopes once more that the ...
- European Hyperloop Center aims to usher in new era of transportation in the Netherlandson March 27, 2024 at 9:41 am
A quarter-mile white steel tube running alongside a railway line in the windswept northern Netherlands could usher in a new era in the transportation of people and freight. The tube is the heart ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Hyperloop
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Hyperloop” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Hyperloop progress
- Is the Internet the Enemy of Progress?on April 18, 2024 at 5:00 pm
It’s unusual when you find a strong dose of pessimism about the future of technological progress highlighted by one of the world’s leading techno-optimists. But if you follow the combative ...
- Progress, Rediscoveredon April 5, 2024 at 5:00 pm
"The tragedy of today is that we are the heirs and the beneficiaries of thousands of years of progress and we take it for granted. You wake up in a nice soft bed. You go get fresh milk and orange ...
- Netherlands hyperloop aims to improve transportation of people and freight with new technologyon April 3, 2024 at 7:53 am
A quarter-mile white steel tube running alongside a railway line in the windswept northern Netherlands could usher in a new era in the transportation of people and freight. The tube is the heart ...
- Will India Soon Hyperloop?on March 29, 2024 at 9:32 am
Will we see a Chennai-Bengaluru hyperloop? IMAGE: Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw inspects the demonstration of the Hyperloop ...
- Europe’s longest hyperloop test track revives futuristic tube transport hypeon March 27, 2024 at 7:29 pm
Operators hope newly opened Dutch track will help prove feasibility of high-speed shuttle system The longest hyperloop test track in Europe has opened, raising faint hopes once more that the ...
- Europe’s longest hyperloop testing center now open in Netherlandson March 27, 2024 at 3:25 pm
The Hyperloop Development Program (HDP), a public-private collaboration with over 25 partners, includes the EHC in its efforts to progress hyperloop technology. HDP includes several hyperloop ...
- European Hyperloop Center aims to usher in new era of transportation in the Netherlandson March 27, 2024 at 9:41 am
A quarter-mile white steel tube running alongside a railway line in the windswept northern Netherlands could usher in a new era in the transportation of people and freight. The tube is the heart ...
- Hyperloop: Desi & Swiss firms tie up to accelerate new age transport solutions for Indiaon March 26, 2024 at 1:52 pm
Hyperloop is an example of the emerging and ... our nations and underscores our shared commitment to transformative progress. We are honored to contribute to this thriving alliance by advancing ...
- Dutch hyperloop center aims to advance futuristic transport technologyon March 26, 2024 at 3:32 am
The tube is the heart of the new European Hyperloop Center that opens Tuesday and will be a proving ground in coming years for developers of the evolving technology. Hyperloop, once trumpeted by ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Hyperloop progress
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Hyperloop progress” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]