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Virgin Hyperloop, which was previously known as Hyperloop Technologies, Hyperloop One and Virgin Hyperloop One is an American transportation technology company that is working to commercialize the high-speed technology concept of Hyperloop (which is basically a variant of the vacuum train). The company came into existence on 1st June, 2014 and later was reorganized as well as renamed on 12th October, 2017. What Hyperloop systems intends to do is to move passengers as well as cargo at the speed of an airliner that too at a fraction of the cost of today's air travel. The concept of Hyperloop transportation came into existence due to the work of Robert H. Goddard in 1904. The train was designed in such a way that it would run suspended by magnetic systems in a vacuum tube. The company at present is working on projects around the world.
The original Hyperloop concept is proposing to make use of linear electric motor to accelerate and decelerate an air-bearing levitated pod through a low-pressure tube. The vehicle would basically glide silently for miles at speeds of up to 760 mph or 1223.1 km/h with very low turbulence, which is much higher than the speed of present day modern airliner. The system has been proposed to be entirely autonomous, quiet, direct-to-destination and on-demand. In addition, as Hyperloop is proposed to be built on columns or tunneled underground, this would eliminate the dangers of at-grade crossings and require smaller rights of way than high-speed rail or a highway.
The company had managed to raise $295 million as on 18th December, 2017 and have also successfully demonstrated a form of propulsion technology on 11th May, 2016 at its test site which is located in North Las Vegas. Virgin Hyperloop has already completed a 500-meter Development Loop (DevLoop) and on 12th May, 2017, also held its first full-scale Hyperloop test. The test combined Hyperloop components including vacuum, propulsion, levitation, sled, control systems, tube and structures. As of May 2019, the company was able to raise $400 million.
Its has also publicly stated that it would launch commercial operations by the year 2030.
On 8th November, 2020, after going through more than 400 unmanned tests, Virgin Hyperloop conducted finally conducted its first human trial with Virgin Hyperloop executives Josh Giegel, its Co-founder and CEO, and Sara Luchian, Director of Passenger Experience, being its first passengers running at a speed of 172 km/h or 107 mph at the Virgin Hyperloop’s DevLoop test site located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The test's safety process was also validated by an Independent Safety Assessor.
As on January 2021, the company launched its vision for the future passenger experience.
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