Shervin Pishevar’s Hyperloop One Sets Environmental Sights | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Sports

Shervin Pishevar’s 'Hyperloop One' Sets Environmental Sights on Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Columbus

This is the very first time that an American environmental study will specifically consider a Hyperloop.

49
Hyperloop Shervin Pishevar


In January 2013, Silicon Valley investor Shervin Pishevar convinced Elon Musk to explore the concept of the Hyperloop, a theoretically safe high-speed train that could travel faster than an airplane and close the distance between large cities within minutes. Named Hyperloop One, Pishevar's project, if executed correctly, would up-end the entire transportation system as we know it, zipping people and cargo from point A to point B to point C at more than 700 mph.Even in concept, it was a moonshot to the max. To get it to work, one needed a combination of low-pressure tubes, aerodynamically spectacular vehicles, and magnets for both levitation and speed.

Today we're seeing the American fruit of Pishevar's labor, which included getting skeptical investors on board, as the first steps toward a Hyperloop One route from Pittsburgh to Chicago are being made. It's a voyage that could take less than 45 minutes.

What makes the news particularly significant? This is the very first time that an American environmental study will specifically consider a Hyperloop. The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) will use two companies as consultants for both feasibility and environment studies for the Hyperloop, and a comparably less flashy – and slower – traditional passenger rail. Both are on the table.

"MORPC and its public and private partners in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Pennsylvania are excited to take this important next step in moving innovative transportation technology forward in Central Ohio and across the Midwest," MORPC Executive Director William Murdock said when announcing the studies.

The specific route and group behind it was chosen by Virgin Hyperloop One for the company's Global Challenge contest, which gave teams around the world the chance to submit proposals for Hyperloop.

One routes across the United States, Asia, and beyond. This proposal, by Midwest Connect, was one of 10 contest winners, and the very first to consider why the route could be a great fit: Cargo.

While multiple groups are vying for Hyperloop-style success, Hyperloop One is the only organization with a fully functional Hyperloop system already in place.

Since the 2013 conversation between Pishevar and Musk, which actually took place on a Cuban humanitarian mission, Pishevar has been carefully cultivating a team to take the idea of the Hyperloop to reality. He started by recruiting tech entrepreneurs, even setting up a company, Hyperloop Technologies, in a Los Angeles garage. A short time later, Shervin Pishevar would open an Innovation Campus in downtown Los Angeles, raising $8.5 million in Series A funding, and later, $80 million in series B investment.

Innovation Campus in Los AngelesHyperloop-One

In 2017, Virgin Group invested in Hyperloop One, spearheading the project for future endeavors. And since that partnership, news and activity surrounding the Hyperloop has been fast and furious.

Early this year, Virgin Hyperloop One, the University of Missouri system and Black and Veatch, a construction, engineering and consulting company, teamed up to complete a feasibility study on a Hyperloop route that would take passengers and cargo from Kansas City to Columbia to St. Louis Missouri. The route, shadowing Missouri's I-70, would complete the entire circuit within 30 minutes.

India was next to jump on board, announcing a plan to build a Hyperloop between Pune and Mumbai. Starting with an operational demonstration track, the Pune project is set to link central Pune, Navi Mumbai International Airport, and the city of Mumbai in 25 breathtaking minutes. Transporting a hybrid of passengers and cargo, the route will have special significance in India, and may even give financially challenged citizens access to better jobs and education.

Optimistically, the Pune-Mumbai Hyperloop route will deliver as much as $55 billion by way of emissions and accident reduction, as well as benefits to the general public, in just over 30 years. The Hyperloop itself is considered to be environmentally pure, and reduces highway traffic, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. The pre-feasibility study also claims that the route could drop greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 150,000 tons each year.

Instagram

The design of the Hyperloop One has attracted just as much curiosity and buzz as the concept of moving at an almost unfathomable ground speed. Last February, Virgin unveiled a sleek, space-age prototype of a passenger pod at Dubai's City Walk 2 shopping complex. Shoppers were able to view the sweeping lines of the exterior, as well as the white and cream-colored interior, which features high-definition screens for entertainment and information.

Instagram

As honored guests made their way through the pod, remarking on the elegant, modern interior, others were chatting about the route speed. The Hyperloop One route would enable customers and cargo to make the journey between Abu Dhabi and Dubai in just a breezy 12 minutes.

The Hyperloop comports well with Dubai's ambitious plan to reduce emissions. The city's Road Transport Authority (RTA), by 2030, wants 25% of all journeys to be made in driverless vehicles. Virgin is working closely with the RTA and the United Arab Emirates on the project to fulfill that goal.

If the Chicago / Columbus / Pittsburgh environmental impact study is a success, expect the Hyperloop to become a bonus for shipping companies. In 2015, almost 6 million tons moved through the Chicago to Pittsburgh shipping corridor, with as much as nine million expected to do the same in 2040.

Can the Chicago to Pittsburgh corridor handle all that cargo without a Hyperloop, even 20+ years from now? Probably. But the speed, safety and economics of shipping goods at the speed of flight without the air cargo prices is no doubt an attractive options for businesses, now, then, and in the far future.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

179366
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

6517
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

451996
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

23006
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments