European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has tasked her incoming transport commissioner with developing the hyperloop, but a recent test of the technology shows there is much to be done before it becomes the next high-speed transport mode.
The hyperloop is a cutting-edge transport system in which a capsule is pushed through a sealed, airless tube. The capsules are said to travel faster than planes – up to 700 kilometres per hour – and the system is said to be more energy efficient than trains.
These feats are made possible by the near frictionless nature of the technology, which relies on a vacuum inside the tube and magnets to levitate the capsules.
Although this transport system is still in the early stages of development, it was mentioned in von der Leyen’s ‘mission letter’ to her pick for transport commissioner, the Greek Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who has yet to pass parliamentary scrutiny.
Tzitzikostas is to “propose a strategy for the promotion and development of cutting-edge technologies such as hyperloop,” von der Leyen’s mission letter to him writes. The plan should include a timetable and investment strategy, it adds.
“Nothing is more powerful than an idea which time has come,” said Roel van de Pas, Commercial Director of Hardt Hyperloop, quoting Victor Hugo, at the European Hyperloop Centre (EHC) Grand Event on 9 September. His company is developing the technology.
The Hardt Hyperloop vehicle completed its first successful test during the industry event, travelling 90 metres in the 420-metre EHC tube, an open test facility in Veendam, the Netherlands.
Hardt Hyperloop is part of the Hyperloop Development Programme (HDP), a public-private partnership funded by the European Commission.
Far from becoming a reality
“This achievement marks a key milestone toward realizing the hyperloop in Europe and around the world,” van de Pas told journalists.
So far, however, only individual components of hyperloop technology have been tested. The traction components, including the magnetic levitation, were tested in the event, but other key parts were missing.
For example, the vehicle travelled at less than 30 kilometres per hour – a far cry from the claimed fast speed.
At a hyperloop test site in Lausanne, speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour were reached, Klaus Rudischhauser, Director General of the HDP, told Euractiv.
The Veendam test was conducted in atmospheric conditions, meaning that the tube did not contain a vacuum. This is despite the accompanying press release stating that “the hyperloop infrastructure of the EHC has already demonstrated its capability to maintain (…) the envisioned pressure for an operational hyperloop system.”
Other key unproven aspects include the capsules’ ability to switch lanes and turn corners. These have not been tested at all.
The first lane-switching test will only take place at the end of this year at the EHC, with a promised speed of up to 100 kilometres per hour.
Asked by Euractiv for a timeline on when the hyperloop technology would be proven, Rudischhauser said that it would be certified and demonstrated by 2030.
Hyperloop vs Rail
The hyperloop presents itself as a fast and energy-efficient solution, with “an energy consumption that is ten times less than that of cars or aeroplanes,” the EHC event press release reads.
The promised benefits also include lower operating and investment costs than rail and “less complicated spatial integration,” meaning Hyperloop tubes could be easier to deploy than conventional high-speed rail.
However, deploying a hyperloop network will require significant investment, which may, at some point, compete with funds that have been earmarked for rail.
But this is not the case, says Van de Pas.
Designed to carry around 50 passengers, hyperloop capsules are intended to be highly targeted and offer direct connections with no intermediate stops.
Ticket prices, on the other hand, should be competitive, Van de Pas added.
Before it became part of the new transport commissioner’s portfolio, the Commission promised a regulatory framework for the hyperloop, which was due to be published in 2023 but has yet to see the light of day.
Not all observers were convinced. “Why do policymakers keep referring to hyperloops? They are failureloops!” Philip Amaral, Policy and Development Director at the European Cyclists Federation, wrote on LinkedIn, adding that the hyperloop is a “fully dead technological concept”.
According to van de Pas, the hyperloop needs to start being seen as a policy solution rather than science fiction – a goal that Tzitzikostas may well achieve, if he is confirmed by MEPs after the upcoming parliamentary hearings.
[Edited by Donagh Cagney/Daniel Eck]