Virgin Hyperloop Aims to Start Carrying Passengers by 2027

The head of the Virgin¹ Hyperloop transport system says the company aims to begin carrying passengers by 2027.

Josh Giegel helped start the company and is its chief executive² officer. He made the comments to a Reuters reporter at the company's development and testing center near Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Virgin Hyperloop system is based on a technology called magnetic levitation³. It uses magnetic fields to lift a vehicle off the ground a little and to push it forward.

Some high-speed trains also use this technology. But unlike trains, a Hyperloop is designed to operate within tubes containing very little air. Electric propulsion moves vehicles, called pods, through the tubes at high speeds. The system offers nearly silent travel and reportedly releases no carbon emissions⁵.

Last November, Giegel rode inside a Virgin Hyperloop pod along with another company official during the system's first test with passengers. The company said the vehicle reached a top speed of 172 kilometers per hour in that test.

But Virgin Hyperloop says the system's pods are designed to move at much higher speeds, up to 1,200 kilometers per hour. It says such a vehicle could complete a trip between New York and Washington, D.C. in 30 minutes. That would be two times as fast as a jet flight and four times faster than a high-speed train.

"It will feel like an aircraft at take-off and once you're at speed," Giegel told Reuters. "You won't even have turbulence⁶ because our system is...completely able to react to all of that turbulence."

The pods will seat 28 passengers and could be specially⁷ designed to travel long or short distances, or to carry goods, the company said.

While the system is still in early development, Giegel predicted that commercial operations could start as early as 2027. Virgin Hyperloop is looking to first develop passenger systems in India, where the transport system is overcrowded, and in Saudi Arabia, which lacks infrastructure⁸.

Giegel said it could be the first form of transportation in 100 years to revolutionize travel, as cars, trains and airplanes did before. "It starts off with two people riding a Hyperloop. It ends with hundreds of millions of people riding on a Hyperloop and that's what the 2020s - the roaring 20s - will be," he added.

Virgin Hyperloop has partners that include Virgin Group founder⁹ Richard Branson and the port operations company DP World, which is owned by the Dubai government.

Words in This Story

levitation – n. making something rise into the air

propulsion – n. the force produced by a system for moving, or propelling¹⁰, a vehicle

emission⁴ – n. the act of producing or sending out something (such as energy or gas) from a source; something that is sent out or produced by something

commercial –adj. concerned with earning money

turbulence – n. an unsteady or violent movement of air or water

infrastructure – n. the basic equipment and structures (such as roads and bridges) that are needed for a country or region

roaring – adj. very load active or strong

1 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

2 executive   

adj.执行的，行政的；n.执行者，行政官，经理

参考例句：

• A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
• He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。

3 levitation   

n.升空，漂浮；浮起

参考例句：

• We are particularly interested in phenomena such as telepathy and levitation. 我们对心灵感应及空中漂浮这样的现象特别有兴趣。 来自辞典例句
• This paper presents a magnetic levitation system control using the gain-scheduling controller. 本文以增益程序控制器针对磁浮系统进行控制。 来自互联网

4 emission   

n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发

参考例句：

• Rigorous measures will be taken to reduce the total pollutant emission.采取严格有力措施，降低污染物排放总量。
• Finally,the way to effectively control particulate emission is pointed out.最后，指出有效降低颗粒排放的方向。

5 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

6 turbulence   

n.喧嚣，狂暴，骚乱，湍流

参考例句：

• The turbulence caused the plane to turn over.空气的激流导致飞机翻转。
• The world advances amidst turbulence.世界在动荡中前进。

7 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

8 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

9 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

10 propelling   

推进( propel的现在分词 )； 推动； 驱动； 驱使

参考例句：

• He succeeded in propelling the ball across the line. 他成功地把球带过线。
• This breath was his propelling force he had no will of his own. 这口气使他进就进，退便退，他已没有主张。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子