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.
A growing number of workers at major produce companies, processing plants, and grocery stores are calling out sick.
These virus-related absences are resulting in product shortages, leaving supermarket shelves far from full. Jesse Newman, agriculture reporter at The Wall Street Journal, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
There may be some light at the end of the tunnel for struggling retailer Kohl's. Shares soared more than 35 percent on Monday on reports that a second takeover could potentially be in the works - just days after a group backed by activist investment firm Starboard Value proposed buying the company. Private equity firm Sycamore Partners has allegedly reached out to Kohl's, offering to pay at least $65 per share in cash for the company - giving it a valuation of close to $9 billion. Joel Bines, Global Head of Retail at AlixPartners, joined Cheddar Movers to discuss the potential takeover as well as the state of retail in the U.S.
Big Apple workers who deliver for food apps like Doordash and Grubhub will now receive a number of legal protections provided through a package of new regulations that have started going into effect. These updated rules include more control over their deliveries, pay and tip transparency, a higher minimum pay rate, and access to restaurant bathrooms during the workday. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander joined Cheddar to elaborate on the regulations and how the platform holders reacted. "I have to say it's a mixed bag," he said. "Grubhub actually welcomed the legislation and said they recognize they need to do better by their deliveristas, but DoorDash, unfortunately, has actually been pushing back against the legislation."
Stocks closed mixed Wednesday after the Federal Reserve's announcement about potential rate hikes this year, beginning as soon as March. That would be the central bank's first rate hike since 2018, and Chair Jerome Powell also didn't rule out a potential rate hike at every meeting in order to combat inflation. RC Peck, CIO of Fearless Wealth, joined Closing Bell to discuss today's close, the Fed's announcement, Tesla's Q4 2021 earnings results, and more.
Stocks closed lower Tuesday, but off session lows amid continued volatility as investors await this week's Federal Reserve meeting, where the central bank is expected to introduce tighter monetary policy. Microsoft also reported second quarter fiscal 2022 earnings after the bell. The tech giant beat on both top and bottom lines, but shares fell after hours. David Stryzewski, CEO of the Sound Planning Group, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss today's close, predictions for this week's Fed meeting, Microsoft's earnings report, and more.
Thomas Hoenig, Former CEO of Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and currently Distinguished Senior Fellow with the Mercatus Center, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says the Fed's decision was no surprise, but believes the Fed is behind the curve on raising rates.
