Hyperloop One: A Proposal Short on Substance?

Elon Musk’s ubiquitous reputation as a maverick innovator turns heads. His unorthodox approach to innovation has resulted in him becoming an example and somewhat of a cult figure within the tech world. Further advancing his reputation was the announcement of his Hyperloop proposal in 2013, an open sourced concept to drastically cut down travel time between cities.

The idea proposes a network of pods travelling through closed, depressurized tubes. Theoretically, the depressurization would lower air resistance, allowing the pods, carrying either passengers or cargo, to glide along the track at speeds of up to 800 mph.

The primary startup spearheading his concept and making waves is Hyperloop One, based out of Los Angeles. However, plagued with logistical and financial miscalculations, some skeptics believe this is an idea best left to the imagination. While there is no doubt the concept is creative and ambitious, the safety and logistical reality behind the technology are still ultimately unproven.

Is The Technology Even Safe?

Despite the fact that Hyperloop One has barely scratched the surface as far as testing the technology, governments around the world are flocking to propose their own routes.

While the route originally proposed was a 600 km track which would connect Los Angeles and San Francisco, the difficulty in testing on their current track of just a half kilometer makes full length tracks just seem boisterous and impossible.

Critics say that the dangers of a long depressurized tube could be numerous. Any bump or crack at any point along the track would spell a disaster resulting in derailment or implosion. This would cause mass injury or death. The track supporting a pod travelling at 800 mph would need to be kept in impeccable shape to avoid potentially catastrophic problems.

The track would also need to be impervious to the smallest tectonic shift or earthquake, regardless of magnitude. Furthermore, the overwatch needed to monitor and repair any single route would need to be without error, along every inch of the track. The manpower and cost needed to ensure its viability would be enormous.

Assuming that in some perfect world the Hyperloop design would function without error, would passengers be on board with exposing themselves to the uncomfortable G-force and claustrophobia inducing roller coaster ride?

The slightest turn would produce a stomach churn similar to lifting off on a plane, and the resulting blood sloshing through a passenger's veins and arteries could be a health concern for many. For the rest, it would result in real discomfort.

Any passenger with the slightest anxiety for being boxed in would certainly find themselves in a nightmare scenario. Trapped in a pod racing at high speeds through a dark enclosed space with no window to the outside world nor escape until the end is enough to make any claustrophobe cringe at the very least.

How Would This Even Be Funded?

Critics wonder if the Hyperloop, a colossal logistical nightmare ripe with mountains of safety and regulatory burdens could even be funded. Further, the numbers outlined by Hyperloop One have been shaky to say the least. Musk proposed his original 600 km track to be $6 billion.

However, leaked documents have shown that the Hyperloop One team now put it at twice that much.

Even with the readjustment, many critics still say this is a longshot, and that the cost of a single inter-city track, when factoring in land, taxes, safety and repair measures, could total up to $100 billion. Given the unfounded and misleading financial proposals, it could be argued that Musk’s initial promise of a relatively cheap yet innovative technological venture may have been a public relations ploy to gain public momentum and bureaucratic support.

Many skeptics find these financial claims to be deceptive, and even further as evidence of incompetence in the company overall.

Hyperloop One’s recent odd lawsuit with ex co-founder Brogan BamBrogan certainly does not help their reputation of peculiar behavior. BamBrogan initially sued Hyperloop One for financial mischief and abuse of its employees, with the biggest example being an incident involving a noose, which BamBrogan claimed was a physical threat.

The shady financial calculations, as well as legal trouble, paint the picture of an inept management team taking on an experiment which may be too big for them to tackle.

Even more telling is the recent agreement with mysterious billionaire oligarch brothers from Russia, Ziyavudin and Magomed Magomedov, to help fund the project. This odd partnership has left many critics even more apprehensive, especially with news that Ziyavudin has helped foster an agreement with Moscow to bring Hyperloop One to Russia. Magomedovs are known for their proximity (close ties) to Russian government leaders, in particular to former Russias president Dmitry Medvedev and his current Deputy Arkady Dvorkovich.

Wrapped in a reputation of both cronyism and bribery, many question the motive behind the Magomedov brother’s involvement in the project. Skeptics believe that Ziyavudin is only in to line his own wallet and push his own political influence further.

When taking into account all of the seemingly impossible logistical and financial hurdles, as well as shady dealings with controversial Russian oligarchs, it’s hard to argue that Hyperloop One’s plan is even feasible. Considering the vast layers of concern surrounding this project, some are left wondering if this is just an attempt to trick world governments into an ultimately impractical creative thought experiment.