Hyperloop, The 760 Mph Tube Transport Platform, Just Revealed What Its Capsules Will Look Like

While Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Tesla initiatives might be getting more press these days, the future-minded entrepreneur made a big announcement just yesterday regarding his Hyperloop transportation platform. The company just revealed the “capsules” (think train cars) that will send passengers hurtling towards their destination in a low-pressure tube at 760 miles per hour.

The video also features the interior of the capsule, as well as commentary on the significant scientific resources that go into making something this bleeding edge safer than conventional transportation options.

According to Hyperloop Transport Technologies' specs, each capsule—which will presumably move independently and will not be linked to other capsules—will measure roughly 100 feet long, 10 feet wide, and will weigh 20 tons. If the image looks a little … sparse, that's not necessarily a minimalist aesthetic. The company offered to CNET that dozens—if not hundreds—of iterations of interiors could evolve closer to launch date.

Hyperloop communications director Ben Cooke says, "We are looking at completely different interior concepts that go beyond just seating. That will be part of one of our future updates."

Beyond the specs of the capsule itself, details of the platform’s operation were discussed as well, with Hyperloop stating a departure capsule could leave a station as frequently as every 40 seconds, moving up to 164,000 passengers out of a station every day. For context, O’Hare Airport has averaged roughly 200,000 passengers per day since 2000.

Right now, the company is calling this reveal an “alpha” stage, with a more functional prototype likely coming in 2018, pending further development at the company’s facility in Toulouse, France. The company also hopes to have a five-mile “test loop” ready for operation in central California that year.

So while the Hyperloop might not be drawing the same attention as Elon Musk’s other endeavors, it’s quietly moving along, focusing on creating a simpler, faster way of moving people around the world at just slightly under the speed of sound.