Hyperloop Tech prepares for historic public test, changes name

Elon Musk’s dream of transforming yet another form of transportation is inching (or racing, if things go well) toward reality.

In 2014, Musk, of Tesla fame, outlined a potentially revolutionary transportation system called the Hyperloop, an above-ground, low-pressure tube with smallish pods inside that are propelled by impeller engines and supported by either air or magnets. Musk came up with the idea and published a 76-page white paper, but he open-sourced it, allowing others to turn it into a reality.

On Tuesday, one company working on the project announced it’s ready to run its first public open air test of the solar-powered transportation project's propulsion system. The Hyperloop is expected to travel at speeds of up to 760 mph and is planned to be, unlike much of modern day public transportation, weatherproof. Read more...