Elon Musk’s Hyperloop idea evolved like most of the Tesla and SpaceX boss’s most ambitious ideas. Over time, so far only a few unconvincing prototypes have been shown.
in time article Paris Marx claims that when it comes to the Hyperloop, it’s by design, and claims that Musk proposed the Hyperloop as a way to distract California lawmakers from the long-discussed high-speed rail project.
Read also: New Tesla models on the way to Norway: starting price of NOK 1.2 million
What this article means is that Musk wanted to crush a public transit proposal in hopes of selling more cars.
To anyone familiar with the history of American cars, this will likely sound familiar.
What exactly is a Hyperloop?
It was Elon Musk, the man behind Tesla, who coined the term five years ago.
The “problem” of normal road transport is that air resistance makes it impossible to reach very high speeds.
The solution is tubes with almost a vacuum, into which “capsules” or small wagons must be sent at speeds of up to 1220 km / h, with almost zero air resistance.
just react
Marks is the author of The Road to Nowhere: What’s Wrong with Silicon Valley about the Future of Transportation.
In the article, he supports his claim with excerpts from the biographical “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the search for a great future.”
Writer and writer Ashley Vance is behind the Elon Musk biography.
While writing this resume, Vance arranged monthly meetings and interviews with Musk. The author additionally visited the headquarters of Tesla and SpaceX several times.
The author is thus one of the few who has come close to Musk over a longer period of time.
In an article in the Automotive and Automotive magazine Jalopnik Vance was asked about the real reason behind the hyperloop. Could it be an all-out attempt to undermine high-speed rail, or is it another half-baked proposition from someone known for his wild ideas?
Read also: Elon Musk responds to the accusations: he sent photo evidence to the newspaper
Vance, now a writer at Bloomberg, described Marx’s conclusion as “vaguely accurate but a deceptive view of the situation.” In Vance’s view, Musk’s initial hyperloop announcements were more than a reaction to how frustrating the California high-speed rail proposal was.
Musk first came up with the idea of a Hyperloop-style high-speed train in 2012. A year later, in August 2013, Musk published a floor plan that suggested a route from Los Angeles to San Francisco where pressurized passenger capsules would transport people through a tube system of up to 1,000 kilometers in the classroom.
Vance described Musk’s proposal as a thought experiment, something Musk had no intention of working on.
– He had a lot on his plate. Elon continues: Putting all ideas into the open field for anyone to use.
I think it’s wrong to blame Musk
Musk has repeatedly portrayed public transportation as dangerous and abhorrent. California is also the state where most Teslas cars are sold.
– He’s the richest man in the world, he’s used to his own planes, so maybe public transport is a little under him these days, the author told Jalopnik.
Vance thinks Musk would have been positive about public transportation if there had been a better offer, and thinks it’s wrong to blame the Tesla boss for his idea.
– If you are a government employee and you tell me that you have a better, faster and cheaper option for high-speed rail, I am inclined to believe you. So it’s the fault of the person selling the idea, or the person buying it, says Vance.
When asked if Musk tried to sell an eco-friendly project to make as much money as possible, or if it was just a wild idea that got out of hand, Vance replied that it might be the last.
“Web specialist. Lifelong zombie maven. Coffee ninja. Hipster-friendly analyst.”
