Plans for Insanely-Fast Hyperloop Transportation System to Be Unveiled Soon
Don't expect to be putting your bags on a train that can make it from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 30 minutes just yet, but do expect to hear more about the futuristic transportation system soon.
Elon Musk, the founder of Telsa Motors, SpaceX and PayPal, is promising to share details about his plans for the Hyperloop within the next 30 days.
"Will publish Hyperloop alpha design by Aug 12. Critical feedback for improvements would be much appreciated," Musk tweeted on Monday.
Musk has set his sights on building the fastest train in the world - if you can even call it a train.
"It's a cross between a Concord, a rail gun and an air hockey table," Musk said at the All Things D conference in June.
He also has described it as a fifth mode of transportation, joining planes, trains, boats and automobiles. He said in 2012 that it would be three to four times faster than a bullet train.
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"What is the fastest way you could get from L.A. to San Francisco? How would you like something that could never crash, is immune to weather?" Musk asked in 2012 during an interview at the PandoMonthly fireside chat. "It goes an average speed at twice what an aircraft would do, so you go from downtown L.A. to downtown San Francisco in under 30 minutes."
Musk said he believed solar panels would allow it to power itself.
Musk, who has expressed his frustrations with Los Angeles road traffic, has said the idea was prompted by California's long plan to build its own bullet train between San Francisco to Los Angeles, which is estimated to cost $60 billion and be slower and more expensive to build than other bullet trains. Musk said he believed his Hyperloop project can be done at 10 percent of that cost.
Those sound like grand plans, for sure - but don't forget, this is the man who is already investing his own money to put a man on Mars within the next 12 to 15 years and has already put electric cars across the country.