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Hyperloop TT will build a track in China
The Hyperloop race is much of a political battle as it is a technical one, with companies grabbing territory like players starting a game of Risk. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, the crowdsourced enterprise that has lagged behind rivals in some respects, may have scored a crucial victory. The company has signed a deal to build a track in the Chinese province of Guizhou, home to the Guiyang Technological Development Zone.
Hyperloop TT plans to build a working line in Abu Dhabi in 2019
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies has announced that it has signed a deal to begin construction on a working Hyperloop in 2019. The company will work with Aldar Properties PJSC, an Abu Dhabi-based real estate developer, on both a route, innovation center and visitor center. The plan is to begin with a very small trip of track close to the border separating Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and growing from there. If successful, then it's possible the United Arab Emirates will be connected by a network of high-speed vacuum tubes.
India wants its own, 27-mile Hyperloop
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Dirk Ahlborn's crowdsourced Hyperloop project, has signed another deal in another country. The company has shaken hands with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board in India with the aim of building a loop connecting the two cities of Vijayawada and Amaravati.
Hyperloop company begins building its first passenger pod
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies has announced that construction will soon begin on its first passenger capsule. The pod is being built in partnership with Spanish engineering firm Carbures and is expected to be unveiled in early 2018. HTT says that the craft will be tested and tweaked at its Toulouse HQ, ready to run in the first "commercial" Hyperloop system that the company expects will be announced in the near future.
Hyperloop company to develop its technology in France
You'd be forgiven for forgetting that there are two companies trying to create Elon Musk's vision for the future of transportation. Beyond signing a few deals to explore routes with local cities, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies still lags behind its more well-heeled competitor. Now, the company has revealed that it'll set up shop in the French city of Toulouse, taking over a 3,000 square meter facility that'll host its research.
Hyperloop taps into government research to float pods
One of the two competing Hyperloop companies has made a major announcement concerning how it's going to make high speed transport a reality. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies has signed a deal with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to harness Inductrack, a form of passive repulsion technology. Traditional MagLev systems require a constant supply of power, adding cost and complexity to most bullet train systems. By comparison, passive repulsion operates with a single series of magnets that can be mounted on each capsule. That's going to make Hyperloop a lot cheaper and easier to maintain, which should hopefully encourage more cities to consider buying one.
Hyperloop gets a little closer to reality
One of the firms competing to turn Elon Musk's tube-based alternative to high-speed rail has taken a small step towards making it a reality. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies has signed deals with vacuum pump business Oerlikon Leybold, engineers Aecom and the architectural business Hodgetts+Fung. As with all of HTT's deals, these firms will offer their expertise in exchange for stock options in the hope that the company will become successful further down the line. The latter two won't have much to offer just yet, but the first one has already started work on the project.
Mythbusting with 'Mr. Hyperloop'
Dirk Ahlborn is two hours behind schedule, and it's no surprise, since the project that he represents has the potential to change the world. He's the CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, one of the firms that's dedicated to building those high-speed tubes people of the future are always traveling in. It's got so much potential that you can even see hope in the eyes of the people standing in his presence, waiting for their turn to speak to the German. You might have heard that Elon Musk dreamed up this idea, but it's Ahlborn who's most likely to make it a reality. Say hello to Mr. Hyperloop.
Hyperloop might be 'free to play'
We're all expecting to pay through the nose to travel between LA and SF in just 30 minutes, but the minds behind Hyperloop may have a surprise up their sleeve. Hyperloop Transportation Technologies' Dirk Ahlborn has told CNBC that he's considering a business model that apes what we see in free-to-play mobile games. The CEO is kicking around the idea that the travel itself would either be free or dirt cheap, with passengers charged for a series of as-yet undisclosed upgrades. Of course, since we're still a decade or more away from a commercial version of the system, there's plenty of time for him to change his mind.
