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Don’t Blink or You Might Miss the First Hyperloop Test

Photo: John Locher/AP

On Wednesday, Hyperloop One — the futuristic high-speed vacuum-tube transportation system backed by Tesla founder Elon Musk — ran the first successful test of its propulsion system on a test track in the desert north of Las Vegas, Nevada, as a crowd of excited journalists watched from the stands.

Did you miss it? Here it is again. Listen as the crowd goes politely wild at the end.

Musk imagines the Hyperloop as the perpetually hoped for high-speed rail connection between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The propulsion open-air test, or POAT, lasted about six seconds, with the Hyperloop sled reaching max speeds of 300 mph on the half-mile track, Tech Insider reports.

The actual Hyperloop, which could be operational as soon as 2020 (we’ll believe it when we see it), will top out at 700 mph. By comparison, the six-second demonstration seemed a little underwhelming.”

The First Hyperloop Test Lasted Just 6 Seconds