Coming soon? Airbased overground transport that can travel at 1300kph

Entrepreneur Elon Musk is building a five-mile test track for a new ground transport system which could move people at speeds of up to 1300kph. Passengers would be transported in aluminium pods over air bearings - similar to how a disc moves on an air hockey table. Musk says this would allow people to move at supersonic speeds with low friction by accelerating them through a travelling electromagnetic pulse. As the pod nears it destination, it would be slowed by the same electromagnets and the kinetic energy absorbed back into the system.

A cross between a Concorde, a railgun and an air hockey table.

How Elon Musk describes his new proposal

Musk says the system is designed to run between cities that are several hundred miles apart, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. The idea was revealed 18 months ago, but on Thursday Musk revealed that he will be building a “hyperloop” for companies and students to test out pod designs. The track is “most likely” to be constructed in Texas. There are numerous hurdles to overcome before the system can be a reality - for example the track needs to be relatively straight, presenting challenges across large distances.

Technology hyperloop