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According to early reports the Hyperloop's initial tests (open air tests) were a success at their test track in North Las Vegas. Image.
It didn't go far but it did work. A metal sled accelerated from zero to 116 mph in 1.1 seconds, or about 2.4 Gs of force. It traveled little more than 100 meters, then stopped, kicking up a cloud of sand in the process.
The Verge has a couple articles Here, before the test and test pictures here.
Pencilled in for Q4 2016, however, is what the company is describing as its "Kitty Hawk" moment - a reference to the Wright Brother's first flight - where it plans to run a full-scale test track. Expected to be more than two miles of low-pressure tube, the pod inside should run at over 700 mph if all goes as planned.
Even if the system scales as Hyperloop One expects it to, human passengers may not be welcome, at least initially. The company is looking to cargo transportation as the most likely use for a commercial Hyperloop system - presumably because boxes and crates are less fragile than families - with interest already from a number of countries in a potential logistics system that would run through tubes and underground tunnels.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Thursday May 12 2016, @04:36PM
It's almost as though there are many who can't accept acceleration unless it comes with the combustion of fossil fuels. That is ridiculous. You can, as a regular person, experience electro-magnetic propulsion [wikipedia.org] today, with the price of admission at Cedar Point. Ride that, and then dispute its ability to propel you and yours at high speeds to your destination.
It was even announced that they would use passive levitation for safety and cost reasons.
Let's suppose they use a sealed system to cause a partial vacuum to reduce air resistance. Then let's suppose that some terrorist or government agent breaches that seal. It won't be as if the hyperloop train runs into a brick wall. Rather, it will be a gradually increasing resistance as the train approaches the leak. That is really far from catastrophic failure the detractors envision.
Washington DC delenda est.