It is a first step toward developing the system in the Netherlands, a key European transportation transport hub, and beyond.
A Dutch tech startup and a construction company on Thursday unveiled a Hyperloop test facility, a steel tube that will be used to help develop the futuristic high-speed transportation system.
It is a first step toward developing the system in the Netherlands, a key European transportation transport hub, and beyond.
« It’s our goal to let it be available for the daily commuter, » said Tim Houter, CEO of Hardt Global Mobility, which is working on the project with construction company BAM. He described the concept as « a sort of on-demand, high-speed transportation system for everyone. »
The Hyperloop was first proposed in 2013 by SpaceX and Tesla Motors co-founder Elon Musk to transport « pods » of people through a tube at speeds of roughly 700 mph (1,126 kph) . A Hyperloop has levitating pods powered by electricity and magnetism that hurtle through low-friction pipes.
The new test facility, a 30-meter (100-foot) long, 3.2-meter (10.5-feet) diameter tube, is located at Delft Technical University.
Houter, who was part of a team of students from the university that won a Hyperloop contest organized by Musk in January, said the tube will be used for low-speed testing in a vacuum.
« So there will be a vehicle inside this tube going back and forth with the levitation system we’re using, the stabilization system we’re using and the safety systems, » he said.
Ultimately the startup wants to build a longer high-speed facility for testing cornering and lane switching. Hardt then aims to begin construction of a Hyperloop route between two cities within the next four years.
Dutch Infrastructure and Environment Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen said a Hyperloop system could help cement the Netherlands’ position as a gateway to Europe by transporting freight arriving at Rotterdam’s sprawling port.
« If you then can move the goods in a fast way to the rest of Europe, this is very important for competition, » she said.
