When Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveiled his Hyperloop rapid transit concept in 2013, many were skeptical. Now, at least one government is putting its faith in the concept. The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) signed an agreement with Hyperloop One, formerly Hyperloop Technologies, to study the feasibility of high-speed routes in the country. One of those planned routes would get passengers from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in 12 minutes, Hyperloop One says.
The announcement follows Hyperloop One’s deal to explore a rapid cargo delivery network in Dubai’s Port of Jebel Ali. The company will work with design and architecture firm BIG, transit consultants McKinsey & Co., and RTA over the next 12 weeks to determine where and how to build a Hyperloop system in the UAE. The system will likely facilitate both passenger and freight transport. A Hyperloop tube from Dubai to Abu Dhabi would cover roughly 97 miles. It takes about 2 hours to travel between the two cities by car.
“Dubai makes perfect sense for Hyperloop One because this is the 21st century’s global transport hub and its leaders understand that Hyperloop One is ushering in the next era of transportation,” said Hyperloop One executive chairman Shervin Pishevar, in a release.
The company also released a series of renderings showing what the UAE Hyperloop system might look like. The system consists of autonomous Hyperpods, which dock into a Hyperloop One vehicle. The pressurized pods levitate on a magnetic field and are shot through a tube that’s nearly devoid of air at near-supersonic speeds. Passengers board the pods through airport-terminal-like Hyperportals. The ones in this concept are located at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi and at the base of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Hyperloop One came up with several pod designs, including coach, lounge, and meeting versions. The pods can seat as few as six or as many as 100 passengers.
The UAE deal is the sixth route study that Hyperloop One has undertaken, with the initial proposal calling for a series of tubes spanning from Los Angeles, Calif., to Las Vegas, Nev. Hyperloop One isn’t the only company exploring Musk’s rapid transit concept. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies is also working on implementing the concept.
Hyperloop One conducted the first test of a Hyperloop sled earlier this year. The company says it will hold a public “Kitty Hawk” demonstration in 2017. See the company’s vision for future transportation in the UAE in the video below.
Source: Hyperloop One
The post Proposed Hyperloop System Would Connect Dubai and Abu Dhabi appeared first on Motor Trend.
from Motor Trend http://www.motortrend.com/news/proposed-hyperloop-system-connect-dubai-abu-dhabi/
No comments:
Post a Comment