That's how Josh Giegel, co-founder and CTO of Virgin Hyperloop, described his ride inside a hyperloop pod to Closing Bell on Monday. Giegel and Sara Luchian, director of passenger experience, made history by becoming the first passengers to ride in a hyperloop pod of any kind Sunday night outside of Las Vegas at the company's DevLoop test site. Giegel also said Sunday's milestone was a culmination of the hard work his team has put in.
"Six years ago, we started in a garage and, even before I started going down the tube [Sunday], all of the emotions of all of the years building a team, building a new product, and then culminating, sitting in that product inside of a real, working hyperloop, about to go down - I was starting to get pretty worked up."
The test run took place in a 500-meter track with Giegel and Luchian traveling at a top speed of 107 miles per hour. This initially seems pedestrian for a revolutionary method of travel — especially one expected to travel at speeds of over 600 miles per hour and get travelers from New York to Washington, DC in 30 minutes, or passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 45 minutes. But Giegel says the Hyperloop will indeed be built to ride at similar speeds as airplanes.
"The longer the track we can get, the more we can build, and the faster we can go. If you're on an aircraft, it might take 15-20 miles to get fully up to speed, and we'll get that a little bit faster on a hyperloop."
Giegel, who said the ride was as smooth as he could have imagined, quiet and fully electric, says the number one question he was asked about the Hyperloop was its safety.
"It's really safe when you see people get into it and more importantly when you see people get out of it," he explained. "The system that we had yesterday, we developed, was one that was designed to be an everyday rider." Giegel also added a personal touch to ensure that the Hyperloop is indeed safe for everyone.
"My two-year-old, I still like to be his dad and my wife still likes me," he said. "That's really the most beautiful part. If it wasn't safe enough for me, it wasn't safe enough for anyone."
The big question, however, is when the Hyperloop will be available for commercial use. While Giegel says that date is still at least a couple of years away, he explained that this mode of travel could be what defines the 21st century.
"We can keep building roads, we can keep building cars, or you can actually say we don't intend to live in the 21st century like we lived in the 20th century," said Giegel. "The backbone of what the U.S. was built on with the railroad, with the interstate highway system. We can see that, but powered by a hyperloop for the 21st century."
As for Giegel's 2-year-old son, who will likely be around to see the start of the 22nd century?
"By the 22nd century, if we've done our jobs really well, hyperloop will power this nation as well as a bunch of others, and we'll be more connected than we ever, ever could have possibly conceived it."
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global, breaks down September’s CPI print and inflation trends, explaining what it means for markets.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
