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Collapse of Hyperloop One: The Rise and Fall of the High-Speed Rail Startup

Hyperloop One, a new American startup, is reported to have collapsed. (Photo/Dazhi/Associated Press)

[周刊王CTWANT] Elon Musk, who regained the title of the world’s richest man this year, proposed the concept of vacuum high-speed rail (hyperloop) in the past, and Tesla and SpaceX engineers produced a white paper. Musk’s idea also gave birth to the US hyperloop startup company Hyperloop One was born in 2014 and successfully attracted the attention of investors. Since its establishment, it has raised a total of US$450 million, approximately NT$14 billion. However, this new startup has nothing to do with Musk. Recently, it was reported that Hyperloop One collapsed. According to foreign media It noted that remaining employees responsible for the asset sale have been informed that all work will end on December 31.

Musk has proposed vacuum high-speed rail in the past. (Photo/Dazhi/Associated Press)

According to Bloomberg, Hyperloop One has laid off most of its employees and closed its Los Angeles office. It will also sell remaining assets such as test tunnels. After these assets are cleared, the employees responsible for the aftermath will officially leave on December 31. In addition, Dubai World Port Group (DPWorld) owns a majority stake in the company, and its intellectual property will be transferred to DPWorld after Hyperloop One ceases operations. It is understood that this new start-up company has nothing to do with Musk. Musk is studying the method of vacuum high-speed rail through his tunneling company The Boring Co. with the same technology.

People familiar with the matter revealed that it has laid off most of its employees and sold remaining assets including test tracks and machinery. (Photo/Dazhi/Associated Press)

According to reports, HyperloopOne, founded in 2014, has proposed the idea of ​​using maglev train technology to travel at a high speed of 1,127 kilometers per hour in vacuum tube tunnels, and is developing a vacuum high-speed train to transport passengers and cargo. Hyperloop One once achieved a top test speed of 172 kilometers per hour through a 500-meter-long test track.

The success of this test has also attracted the attention of the outside world and investors, including Virgin Atlantic boss Richard Branson, who invested in the company in 2017 and renamed it Virgin Hyperloop One. It also successfully carried people on board for the first time in 2020.

Although it received financial aid, it still encountered many technical difficulties. For example, it was difficult for trains to turn and had to go straight forward, which greatly increased the cost and difficulty of tunnel excavation. In addition, the company’s internal personnel problems continued, making its operations difficult, and The company even changed its development strategy last year due to safety risks, stating that it would focus on transporting cargo rather than passengers and announced the layoff of more than 100 employees. This move also caused Branson to dissatisfy the withdrawal of investment and let it change its original name to Hyperloop One. Unable to make breakthroughs in technology and unable to secure funds, Hyperloop One eventually went bankrupt.

Hyperloop One, a new American startup, is reported to have collapsed. (Picture/reproduced from Twitter)

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2023-12-24 14:08:49
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