Just months after its first passenger testing, Virgin Hyperloop has unveiled its vision for the future hyperloop experience.
Say hello to travel of the 2020s and beyond.
Strap yourself in, because Virgin Hyperloop has unveiled an exciting new concept video, sharing the vision for its new travel experience.
The video takes the viewer on a step-by-step hyperloop journey, from arriving at the portal to boarding the pod.
And we must say, it looks pretty cool.
“Designing a new mode of transportation from scratch is both an opportunity and a responsibility,” said Sara Luchian, Virgin Hyperloop’s Director of Passenger Experience and one of the first people to ride the hyperloop in November.
“Hyperloop technology – and what it enables – is paradigm-shifting. It follows that the passenger experience should be nothing short of extraordinary.”
Sara Luchian, Virgin Hyperloop’s Director of Passenger Experience
What exactly is it?
Virgin Hyperloop is reinventing mass transportation as you know it.
Its aim is to eliminate barriers of time and distance by using hyperloop transport to move cargo and passengers immediately, safely, efficiently, and sustainably.
The system can propel passenger or cargo pods at speeds of over 1000 km/h, which is 3x faster than high-speed rail and more than 10x faster than traditional rail.
As well as that, a core pillar of the project is sustainability and over its lifetime, the Virgin Hyperloop will have a lower environmental impact than other modes of mass transportation.
The passenger experience
Far from a dystopian future where dark colors, stark lighting, and screens abound, Virgin Hyperloop’s counter-narrative is a more optimistic view of the future: a greener, smoother, safer, and more pleasant mass transit experience.
“We leveraged decades of experience designing how people and things move across various modalities – taking some of the best aspects from aviation, rail, automotive, and even hospitality to create a new and better passenger experience that is distinct to Virgin Hyperloop,”
John Barratt, CEO & President, Teague
Guests can expect recessed seat wells to provide a greater sense of space, bands of optomistic and fresh greenery and wood textures dynamic lighting in each pod based on traveller activity and journey milestones.
Beyond the typical touchpoints in transportation, Virgin Hyperloop also researched and incorporated findings from more non-traditional interactions, such as sound.
Virgin Hyperloop is working with Man Made Music for the score and sonic identity – to design a comprehensive, multi-sensory passenger experience that surpasses that of any other form of mass transit.
Worried it’ll be too expensive to ever get to ride on?
A key pillar of Virgin Hyperloop’s passenger experience is accessibility, ensuring that this new form of transportation will expand opportunities for the masses.
While ticket prices will vary depending on the exact route, a recent study found that hyperloop fares would be more akin to the cost of driving, rather than flying.
“It’s simple. If it’s not affordable, people won’t use it,” said Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop.
“Daily high-speed transport is currently not feasible for most people, but we want to change that notion. Imagine being able to commute between cities that are currently hours apart in minutes – and the endless possibilities that opens up.”
Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop.
On-demand and direct to the destination, the hyperloop system would be able to transport thousands of passengers per hour, despite the fact that each vehicle carries up to 28 passengers.
Amazing!
But when will we start seeing the Virgin Hyperloop opening up?
Following their successful passenger testing, the company aims to achieve safety certification by 2025, with commercial operations beginning in 2030.
Watch this space.
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