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U.S. firm unveils hyperloop 'pod' to shuttle riders at 760 mph

By Sommer Brokaw

Oct. 2 (UPI) -- A hyperloop vehicle that engineers hope will one day carry people at speeds over 700 mph was unveiled in Spain Tuesday.

U.S. research company Hyperloop Transportation Technologies showed off a high-speed rail pod in Cadiz, Spain.

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HyperloopTT is one of three companies planning to build a hyperloop transportation system. Tesla founder Elon Musk owns another, which he hopes will shuttle people between Washington and New York City in 30 minutes. Virgin Hyperloop is the other.

"The importance of what we achieved is that it's a real full-scale capsule," HTT co-founder Bibop Gresta told CNBC. "This is the first time that we've shown what a hyperloop would look like."

The company said it's developed a new skin material called Vibranium to make the capsules safer.

"Using carbon-fiber and embedded sensors, this new smart material is eight times stronger than aluminum and ten times stronger than steel alternatives," HyperloopTT says on its website. "It is also much lighter in weight -- roughly five times less than steel and 1.5 times less than aluminum-reducing energy output to propel the capsule."

The pod shown Tuesday can carry as many as 40 passengers and travel up to 760 mph through a network low-pressure tubes.

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HyperloopTT CEO Dirk Ahlborn said he hopes a full hyperloop system will be operating in three years. Passengers would need to sign a waiver while legal and safety requirements are finalized for the first few years, he added.

The Gulf Cooperation Council, a political and economic alliance of six Middle East nations, is also awaiting a system to transport people from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in 12 minutes.

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