Thread: Hyperloop

This is a very intriguing story, Takeovers.

I want to learn about this.

I hope this thread has legs.

Read an article about it recently. Still in the theoretical stage, but feasible.
It'll be the 22nd century before this has any effect in the UK though.

Today Musk finally showed his plans for Hyperloop, a new take on high-speed land-based travel, offering up both his initial plans from his team of engineers for free, but appearing to—at the last second—decide that the best way to prove that Hyperloop is a viable option for travel is to pony up the funds for a prototype himself.

We Need More Ideas as Crazy as Hyperloop

Originally Posted by Neo

We Need More Ideas as Crazy as Hyperloop

Good article.

I did not yet read through the technical description but I read in a Space forum about it. The idea is a vacuum tube where cars run very fast without air resistance. The saving is supposed to come from reduced energy need because of the vacuum and lower cost of the track because there will be no long and heavy trains that cause high forces requiring massive support structures. It will be small carriages every few seconds. Also because the structures are lightweight and slim they don't need an expensive wide track through the landscape but can be built over existing highways except on points where the highway takes sharp bends.

Yes, he is absolutely crazy but the kind of crazy that works. He has founded four companies so far and despite everything experts had said about the concepts, all four of them have made billions. With that trackrecord it becomes difficult to dismiss the ideas he is tossing out.

He himself claims only three companies because one of them he only founded but did not control himself but instead let other people run it. That is the solar energy company Solarworld he funded because he thinks his Tesla electric cars are only good if they can run on renewable energy.

I have a sneaking suspicion this man is a genius.

Probably best to pay attention when he has an idea.

There's a reason people like this don't run for President.

Originally Posted by Thormaturge

I have a sneaking suspicion this man is a genius.

Certainly, and a genius with visions.

Originally Posted by Thormaturge

Probably best to pay attention when he has an idea.

Absolutely.

But there are enough geniuses with visions out there. What makes Elon Musk different is that drive and ability to go out and actually do things instead of only having visions.

I am afraid though that he is overextending himself. It may be a mistake to take on Hyperloop in addition to all he already does. I a discussion a few days ago he said, leading both Tesla and SpaceX the way he did and was necessary, was really beyond his capacity and he needs to scale back and spend time with his family too. And now Hyperloop, even if only a proof of concept.

BTW he could not run for President, even if he wanted. He is South African by origin. He came to the US only for University.

Originally Posted by VocalNeal

There is never any volume product.

Tesla is on the verge of becoming mainstream. Mercedes is cooperating with him on electric cars. The share prices reflect that.

SpaceX similar. Of course they had to go through an extensive development cycle. But right now they have built up capacity for mass production. Their Hawthorne California factory near Los Angeles is now set up to built 40 first stages and the engines required per year. A Falcon Heavy will need three of those stages though, but that would still be capacity for over 20 launches a year.
Almost certainly they will have more than 10 launches next year. And with contracts from Com-Sat operators, NASA, the US Military and even a number of German Military satellites it seems, the customers have a lot of confidence in him.

BTW on electric cars. I too don't see them as the solution to our transportation needs.

But Elon Musk was on a research team (or was offered a place) at the beginning of an academic research carreer for a new generation of super capacitors. He still believes they have the potential to solve the battery problem for his electric cars.

He decided to drop out of University though to found PayPal which turned out to make him the fortune he now spends and increases by following his dreams. But he is no longer connected to PayPal. He sold it to Amazon.

So.

None of his other business ideas have "gone down the tubes" then?

like that too... if the tubes go underground - perfect...

Originally Posted by Thormaturge

I have a sneaking suspicion this man is a genius.

Probably best to pay attention when he has an idea.

There's a reason people like this don't run for President.

not sure, more like a good salesman, but let's revisit the facts first

- PayPal: crappy shitty service that didn't take over banks as initially planned, will eventually shutdown for regulatory reasons
- Telsa: gadgets for millionaires, will disappear in a few years like all car luxury brands do when they run out of cash
- SpaceX: Geek projects, still in development, the engine part that is outsourced by another company is the only credible positive outcome of that project.
- Hyperloop: after his previous megalomaniac projects failed to realize, time for a new one

Originally Posted by Butterfly

not sure, more like a good salesman, but let's revisit the facts as Butterfly sees them first - PayPal: crappy shitty service that didn't take over banks as initially planned, will eventually shutdown for regulatory reasons - Telsa: gadgets for millionaires, will disappear in a few years like all car luxury brands do when they run out of cash - SpaceX: Geek projects, still in development, the engine part that is outsourced by another company is the only credible positive outcome of that project. - Hyperloop: after his previous megalomaniac projects failed to realize, time for a new one

Sadly every one of your predictions is wrong. Very wrong indeed. Some people have vision some bitch mate.

I was listening to this being discussed on LBC today.

Good luck to him and his 'crazy' ideas, the world needs more like him.

It wasn't so long ago that people said we would never fly.