Virgin Hyperloop, the company behind the long-gestating vacuum train concept, has released a concept video showing the most detailed presentation yet of what the high-speed transit system might actually look like.
The two and a half minute video shows slick 3D renderings populated with photorealistic passengers of what the Hyperloop's stations and train cars might look like.
"I think one of the things that was really paramount to me was to acknowledge that designing the first new mode of transportation in over a hundred years is a huge opportunity, but it's also a huge responsibility," Sara Luchian, director of passenger experience at Virgin Hyperloop, told Cheddar.
She explained that the video was crafted to shift public perception away from the "cold, grey, grim, dystopian" imagery that Virgin Hyperloop has presented in the past and "embrace a much warmer, friendlier, more welcoming, and human-centric vision of transportation that is yet to come but just years away."
The concept video shows passengers boarding individual "tubes" featuring arrival times displayed digitally on the backs of seats, automatic phone-charging panels, and a bird's-eye view of elevated tracks spanning coastlines, mountain ranges, and urban centers. Notably, there's a shot of a highly-visible speedometer showing the tube reaching 670 miles per hour.
As for when the Hyperloop will start shuttling actual passengers, Luchian said much depends on when it can secure regulatory approvals and partnerships, but the goal is the end of the decade.
"One of my favorite things about this job is being able to tell people it's coming in years, not decades," she said.
In the meantime, Virgin Hyperloop has announced the establishment of its Hyperloop Certification Center in West Virginia, where it plans to build a six-mile tube for testing and safety certification. The company is aiming for full regulatory approval within the next five years.
Where the first completed systems will be built is still up in the air, but Luchian said there is interest all over the world.
One factor that will inform the system's roll-out is making sure the Hyperloop is a "mass transportation" system, she added. "It's not meant to be a solution for, you know, petulant billionaires trying to go from one chalet to their mansion."
As a result, Hyperloop will seek investment from both private and public sources, with an eye toward making the system affordable wherever it ends up being built.
"More than anything, we need this to be first safe but of course affordable, and that accessibility is one of the most important things," Luchian said.
Breaking down the good, the bad, and the new in business on Monday, June 13, 2022, with JP Morgan's bullish Apple take, EV startup Electric Last Mile Solutions planning to declare bankruptcy, and Amazon getting ready to roll out its new drone delivery service in California.
Jay Hatfield, Chief Investment Officer at Infrastructure Capital Management, joined Closing Bell to break down the big factors leading to this latest market meltdown, as inflation and an upcoming Fed policy decision affect investor sentiment.
Tech apprenticeship platform Multiverse became a unicorn with a $1.7 billion valuation, after raising $220 million in a Series D round. As companies across the country face challenges in hiring and retaining tech talent, Multiverse says it's trying to offer a solution with a new way to train and hire workers that can serve as an alternative to college and corporate training. Sophie Ruddock, VP and GM North America of Multiverse, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Bitcoin's price has fallen below $24,000, its lowest level since December 2020. Matt Hougan, CIO at Bitwise Asset Management, joined Cheddar News to discuss the future of crypto amid the latest high-profile point of concern, the halting of withdrawals at Celsius Network. "Last month we saw Luna collapse. This month we're seeing Celsius possibly collapsing," he said. "So this stress test is finding weaknesses in the crypto ecosystem and it will continue until we get to a strong foundation from which crypto can recover."
An analyst at JP Morgan is predicting massive future growth for Apple in its music and gaming divisions — to the tune of more than $8 billion in revenue by 2025. Cheddar News anchors Kristen Scholer and Hena Doba discuss the glowing forecast for the tech giant.
Catching you up on today’s top headlines with Bitcoin falling below $24,000, U.S. gas prices reaching above $5 on average, Tesla shareholders voting on a 3-for-1 stock split, and more.
On this episode of On The Job presented by ADP: Gemma Burgess, CEO of Ferguson Partners, explains what people are looking for in an employer, and how to convey positive work culture to potential employees; Amy Leschke-Kahle, Vice President of Performance Acceleration at The Marcus Buckingham Company, an ADP company, breaks down how encouraging employee engagement and empowering employee voices can benefit every workplace and busts a myth about employee engagement while working from home; Jim Huether, CEO of Hyperice, discusses Hyperice's new employee mental health initiative, known as the Workplace Alliance, with 100-plus companies to combat the ongoing mental health crisis and how they're taking a hands-on, data-driven approach to the mental health crisis.
Amy Leschke-Kahle, Vice President of Performance Acceleration at The Marcus Buckingham Company, an ADP company, joins Cheddar to discuss how encouraging employee engagement and empowering employee voices can benefit every workplace and busts a myth about employee engagement while working from home.
Jim Huether, CEO of Hyperice, joins Cheddar to discuss Hyperice's new employee mental health initiative, known as the Workplace Alliance, with 100-plus companies to combat the ongoing mental health crisis and how they're taking a hands-on, data-driven approach to the mental health crisis.
