Magnetic floating capsules traveling through a series of tubes sounds like a scene from sci-fi movies, right? But what if they could become a new means of mass transportation? Yes, we are talking about the Hyperloop.
One of the companies working on the technology is Hardt Hyperloop. Since 2020, the Dutch startup has developed numerous prototypes and test benches. It is also part of the European Hyperloop Center and is funded by the EU Commission with 15 million euros.
The company is developing Hyperloop technology for passengers and cargo, allowing travel through a network of low-pressure maglev tubes. The pods are said to have a cruising speed of 700 km/h and a top speed of 1,000 km/h, drastically reducing travel time. And in terms of sustainability, the system produces no direct emissions and can run on green electricity.
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We met Mars Geuze – Chief Commercial Officer of Hardt Hyperloops – at TNW 2022 and asked him what the advantage of Hyperloop is and which modes of transport are over- or underrated. The result was a fast-paced, entertaining video that you can find embedded at the top of this article or watch right here.
Geuze argues that Hyperloop is still underestimated, even though it can travel with 10 times less energy than aviation or road transport. But optimistic: “In the last survey, there was an acceptance rate of about 35%, which means a higher score than autonomous cars,” he told us.
Trains and buses are also underestimated for Geuze. Trains in particular can connect cities well and offer high capacity with a lower carbon footprint compared to cars, he explained.
Cars, on the other hand, find Geuze to be an overrated means of transportation. “They are the biggest contributors to your energy balance and we need to move away from them,” he noted.
But what does he think of golf carts…or pogo sticks? Click here to get his answers and watch the full interview.
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