Virgin Hyperloop pod tours the US
Virgin Hyperloop is taking its XP-1 hyperloop pod on the road to start a conversation about the power of this new form of mass transformation.
The XP-1 pod completed the world’s first full-system hyperloop test in May 2017 – what Virgin Hyperloop calls its “Kitty Hawk” moment after the town where the Wright brothers made the first controlled powered airplane flights. The pod will visit cities across America during August and September as locations around the world compete to be the first to implement hyperloop technology.
“When government and investor delegations come to our test site, seeing the technology makes it real for them. Not everyone can come to the Nevada desert, so we’re bringing our technology to the people – the American people who will be riding this new form of transportation within the decade,” said Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop.
The full-system test in 2017 was the first time any company had integrated all the components of a hyperloop – a highly efficient motor, power electronics, magnetic levitation, vacuum pumping systems, and an aerodynamic vehicle – as a single unified system. During testing the XP-1 set the full-scale hyperloop speed record of 240 miles per hour on just 550 yards of track.
The roadshow will visit Columbus, OH, Arlington, TX, and Kansas City, KS, to give local communities the chance to see first-hand the historic test pod and learn more about their states’ progress in bringing hyperloop to fruition in a matter of years.
In Columbus, Virgin Hyperloop has a partnership with The Center of Science and Industry and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission to host a STEM outreach day on August 4th. There will be hyperloop-related, hands-on activities for all ages. The event is free and open to the public from 10am until 5pm at The Center of Science and Industry.
Virgin Hyperloop will then head to Arlington on August 8th – 10th, where they’ve partnered with the Dallas Cowboys and the North Central Texas Council of Governments to unveil the XP-1 at AT&T Stadium, the fourth largest in the NFL. The vehicle will be viewable during the scheduled stadium tours at AT&T Stadium.
After a short hiatus, XP-1 will be back on the road on September 14th, heading to Kansas City. Thanks to the KC Tech Council and law firm Polsinelli, it will be speeding into the Kansas Speedway during the American Royal World Series of Barbecue – the world’s largest barbecue and Kansas City’s biggest party. XP-1 will be on display on Smokin’ Saturday alongside other family-friendly programming including live music, barbecue demos, food trucks and a classic car show. The vehicle will be viewable from 11am at the Kansas Speedway.
Beyond these three cities, XP-1 will also be stopping throughout the heartland – at diners, hotels, museums, parks, state houses and stadiums – to share the progress and promise of hyperloop technology. This 4,000 mile route across the US will take about 70 hours of driving. With hyperloop, it would take about six hours.
Visit Virgin Hyperloop to find out the latest from the company, including exciting news about hyperloop technology plans in India.