Hyperloop One achieves record speed in its second phase of testing

New York: Hyperloop One successfully completed its second phase of testing on 29 July 2017, achieving improved test speeds of 310 km an hour, and traveling nearly the full distance of the 500-meter DevLoop track in the Nevada desert. Phase 2 achieved 2.7x faster speed (192 mph vs. 69 mph) as compared to Phase 1, and went 4.5x farther distance (1,433 feet vs. 315 feet).

The Hyperloop One XP-1, the company’s first-generation pod, accelerated for 300 meters and glided above the track using magnetic levitation before braking and coming to a gradual stop.

During phase 2, Hyperloop One achieved record speeds in a tube depressurized down to the equivalent of air at 200,000 feet above sea level. All components of the system were tested, including the electric motor, advanced controls and power electronics, custom magnetic levitation and guidance, pod suspension and vacuum system.

With Hyperloop One, passengers and cargo are loaded into a pod, and accelerate gradually via electric propulsion through a low-pressure tube. The pod quickly lifts above the track using magnetic levitation and glides at airline speeds for long distances due to ultra-low aerodynamic drag.