Swiss Team Revives Hyperloop Dreams With Record Scale Model Test

In an unexpected turn of events, the hyperloop concept, once deemed deceased, is seeing a revival, albeit in a scaled-down version. A year ago, Hyperloop One’s shutdown led many to believe that the ambitious idea of traveling in tube-based capsules at speeds of up to 700mph was a pipe dream. However, a Swiss team is pushing the boundaries of this vision forward by conducting notable tests on a 1/12th scale hyperloop model.

The innovative testing is happening at a 120-meter circular track located in Lausanne, Switzerland. Collaborating with the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), the School of Business and Engineering Vaud (HEIG-VD), and Swisspod Technologies, the research team recently marked a significant milestone. They completed the longest hyperloop test to date, covering a distance of 11.8 kilometers (7.3 miles) at a speed of 40.7 km/h (25.3 mph).

While these numbers might seem modest when compared to the speeds laid out in Elon Musk’s 2013 hyperloop white paper, they hold promising implications. The circular test track, with a circumference of 125.6 meters (approximately 412 feet), is modest in size but the team asserts that the results translate to a potential full-scale system equating to a journey of 141.6 km (88 miles) — much like the distance between major Swiss cities or between San Francisco and Sacramento. Moreover, they anticipate speeds in a larger hyperloop reaching up to 488.2 km/h (303.4 mph).

This ambitious project, dubbed LIMITLESS, which stands for Linear Induction Motor Drive for Traction and Levitation in Sustainable Hyperloop Systems, aims to address vital components of the hyperloop infrastructure. During their recent tests, the team assessed critical subsystems such as propulsion mechanisms, communication capabilities, power electronics, and thermal management systems. They closely monitored factors like energy consumption and thrust variations in various operational scenarios, from acceleration to braking.

Despite the excitement surrounding this test, skeptics remain concerned about the hyperloop’s viability as a transportation method. Numerous companies, once in pursuit of a working hyperloop, have shuttered due to financial missteps and considerable infrastructure hurdles. The hyperloop project has often faced accusations of being more theoretical than practical. Critics have described the vision laid out by Musk as a “utopian concept” that many believe is financially unfeasible.

However, the Swiss team is undeterred by the challenges that have plagued the hyperloop industry’s past. They are committed to conducting further tests to validate their systems, aiming to prove the legitimacy of their work moving forward. Swisspod’s CEO Denis Tudor shared optimism about the future, stating that they intend to soon test their first freight hyperloop product and are in the process of constructing a larger test track in the United States.

Describing their progress, Tudor asserted, “This is a key step toward making hyperloop for passengers a reality and changing how we connect, work, and live.” This ambitious outlook comes at a time when no full-scale hyperloops have been successfully developed anywhere in the world. Musk’s past endeavors, including a test tunnel in California, have not come to fruition, and his involvement in the hyperloop is overshadowed by his focus on other projects like the Boring Company, which is currently engaged in creating underground passages for cars in Las Vegas.

Ultimately, while the shimmering idea of high-speed hyperloop travel has encountered numerous obstacles and critics, the work being conducted in Switzerland illuminates the path for future advancements in transportation technology. As this team sets their sights on innovative testing, the potential for a full-scale hyperloop project continues to elicit both excitement and skepticism among industry observers.