Netherlands: Hardt Hyperloop, a Dutch start-up, has announced that its prototype pod (without passengers) travelled over a 90-meter section of the track at a speed of 30 km/h.
The next stage will involve the vehicle’s passing the route, including change of lanes, at a speed of 100 km/h in a 100 Pa low-pressure environment. The company plans to complete the technology testing in 2025.
The tests are conducted at the European Hyperloop Centre in Veendam, the Netherlands. The 420 m long test track with a tube of 2.5 m in diameter is unique for its lane switch, a tunnel branching off from the main track, which makes it possible to test passing curves and course changing. The test facility, funded by private investments and government grants, is open for all developers of Hyperloop transportation.
Hardt Hyperloop tests in Veendam, Netherlands. Source: France 24
The Hyperloop idea has been living for 10 years, but not any project has been brought to commercial implementation so far. The very first start-up in the field, American Hyperloop One, was closed in December, 2023. Nevertheless, testing of the technology continues. For instance, CASIC, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, is on the way to constructing the longest vacuum test track of 60 km in order to reach a speed up to 1,000 km/h.
