Elon Musk's Hyperloop May Be Tested In Eco-Friendly Development In Central Valley
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A high-speed transportation system meant to shuttle passengers from the Bay Area to Southern California at speeds nearing 800 miles per hour could debut at a new eco-friendly town in the Central Valley.
The brainchild of Elon Musk, who also developed Tesla Motors and SpaceX, the Hyperloop promises trips between San Francisco and Los Angeles in about half an hour. Passengers would travel in capsules inside a tube.
The Hyperloop could be built alongside a new development in the Quay Valley in Kings County off Interstate 5. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the sustainable development would reportedly get most of its power from the sun, recycle wastewater and discourage driving.
Dirk Ahlborn, CEO of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, told KPIX 5 by phone that the system in Quay Valley would travel at speeds much slower than what Musk envisioned.
"You have a very short track so it doesn't make sense to go as fast, and we still want to have a pleasant ride. We will probably be able to accelerate up to 150, 200 miles per hour," Ahlborn said.
Ahlborn looks to begin construction next year. Quay Valley plans to start building infrastructure around that time as well.
"The first phase is supposed to be finished by 2018, and that's when we expect to have the first passengers on board," he said.