A Southern California startup company, JumpStartFund, recently became in charge of the planning of the hyperloop, a form of transportation that was proposed by Elon Musk on Aug. 12. This new form of land transportation can potentially bring people from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 30 minutes. The Hyperloop has a tube-like design that will transport passengers at speeds of up to 700 miles per hour.  Engineers from both Tesla Motors and SpaceX helped Musk develop the blueprints for the Hyperloop.  Musk has released the concept and blueprints to the public so that engineers can begin working on the project.

“I would definitely take the hyperloop,” said junior Brooke Levine.  “It seems like it would be much more convenient than a long drive or a trip on an airplane.”

If constructed, the Hyperloop would link cities across California.  The suggested route for the Hyperloop runs from the northern San Fernando Valley to the Castro Valley, paralleling the Interstate 5.  The predicted cost of the Hyperloop is $6 billion. The speed of the hyperloop will be four times faster than the Metro or Amtrak trains that California citizens currently use.

The design for the Hyperloop is a large pneumatic tube.  The Hyperloop will have a fan at the tip to help reduce pressure as well as increase speed.  Capsules will float on a thin cushion of air and use magnets and solar power to travel through a tube.  Since there will be little wind in the tube, the Hyperloop will be able to reach an extremely high speed.

 “I think that the hyperloop will be a great advancement for California,” said senior Emily Barber.  “California has so much to offer, but there is too much traffic to get around and the hyperloop will help with this problem.”

Musk promises that the Hyperloop will be safer, faster, cheaper and more convenient than current transportation systems.  The hyperloop will also be immune to bad weather, solar powered and resistant to earthquakes.  Musk also revealed that cars will have the potential to be transported on the hyperloop.

Professors from all across the nation are contributing to the concept and working to advance the development. The Chief Executive Officer of JumpStartFund, Dirk Ahlborn, says that the company will work to refine the Hyperloop and get the project funded.  With multiple investors already backing this concept, the Hyperloop may be developed in the near future.