It's Time to Take the Hyperloop Seriously

Elon Musk’s Hyperloop One has hit a top speed of 192 mph.

The latest test took place on July 29 with the Hyperloop One team testing the entire system needed to propel the vacuum-tube, mag-lev pod. To help hit the 192-mph mark, the team depressurized the 0.3-mile (500 meters) test track until it was the same density as it would be at 200,000 feet above sea level. The pod, which is called XP-1, traveled above the track thanks to magnetic levitation, which theoretically allows a top speed of 760 mph. The latest test also had the pod traveling 4.5 times further than Hyperloop One’s last test, when it went 70 mph.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk’s Hyperloop is One Step Closer to Reality

The idea of the Hyperloop came from none other than Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Musk believes when the Hyperloop is completed, it can theoretically travel at speeds close to Mach 1. Last month, Musk claimed to have received “verbal government approval” to dig a tunnel for a Hyperloop that would link travel from New York City to Washington, D.C. in 29 minutes.

“We’ve proven that our technology works, and we’re now ready to enter into discussions with partners, customers and governments around the world about the full commercialization of our Hyperloop technology,” Hyperloop One CEO Rob Lloyd said in a press release.