In recent times, the technology of hyperloop has created quite a stir across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. The attention is now on China, as Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) inked a deal with the province of Guizhou to bring in the country’s first hyperloop track. Hyperloop, the brainchild of Elon Musk, is a revolutionary transportation technology where train pods travel within a vacuum tube at speeds close to 760 miles per hour (mph).
Though the potential of the technology is above question, the speed the pods can generate is still under contention. The initial pilot runs over limited distances have been far from what has been promised, with the recorded highest speed bordering at 300 mph – which incidentally happened yesterday at the SpaceX pod contest in Hawthorne, California.
HTT’s foray into China augments well for the country as it on an aggressive path to expand its transportation networks and bring down the costs related to freight hauling. Being a developing country, China spends about 15% of its GDP on logistics, which makes it inefficient compared to the West where the average stands at around 10-12% of the GDP. Hyperloop could be a way out, as it can transport goods at a fraction of the time taken by conventional road or rail transport and also does not cost a lot in the process.
Tongren in Guizhou, where the track is planned is big on tourism and HTT is planning a commercial track in the place, unlike most of its ongoing projects which are primarily test tracks. Dirk Ahlborn, CEO of HTT, explained that ten kilometers are being planned initially to comply with the certifications and regulations set in place at the local level, and hoped to see revenues flowing in soon.\