All aboard the FluxJet! Canadian startup reveals plans to build a hyperloop-style vacuum train that can shuttle customers at 621mph – and claims it will be 44% cheaper than a plane ticket
- Canadian startup has unveiled a ‘FluxJet’ that it says will transform the way passengers and cargo are moved
- The fully electric vehicle is hybrid between an aircraft and a train and will travel at up to 620mph (1,000 km/h)
- For comparison, that’s a bit quicker than the average private jet or three times faster than a high-speed train
- Design is based on a new field of physics called ‘veillance flux’ and features a ‘contactless power transmission’
A hyperloop-style vacuum train billed as a ‘plane without wings’ that can shuttle passengers around at 621mph (1,000 km/h) has been unveiled by a Canadian startup.
The fully-electric ‘FluxJet’ is a hybrid between an aircraft and a train, and would be able to carry up to 54 passengers and 10 tonnes of cargo.
Its design is based on a new field of physics that the company calls ‘veillance flux’ and features a ‘contactless power transmission’.
The vision bears similarities to Virgin’s Hyperloop network of 600 mph pods that is set to roll out in 2030, based on a system proposed by Elon Musk.
TransPod, which is the firm behind the project, says the FluxJet will travel along its dedicated tube system across Canada known as the TransPod line.
The line will have stations in key locations and major cities, with pods expected to depart every two minutes.
Futuristic: A hyperloop-style vacuum train that can shuttle passengers around at 621mph (1,000 km/h) and is billed as a plane without wings has been unveiled by a Canadian startup
The ‘FluxJet’, which would be able to carry up to 54 passengers and 10 tonnes of cargo, is a fully electric vehicle that is a hybrid between an aircraft and a train
TransPod, which is the firm behind the project, says the FluxJet will travel along its dedicated tube system across Canada known as the TransPod line. Pictured is the vision of what the FluxJet would look like inside
Its design is based on a new field of physics called ‘veillance flux’ and features a ‘contactless power transmission’
KEY FACTS
Top speed: 621mph (1,000 km/h)
Passengers: 54
Cargo: 10 tonnes
Where it will run: Canada
Fuel: Electric
TransPod, which recently received $550 million (£468 million) in financing, has already started preliminary construction on a tube that’ll transport people from Calgary to Edmonton in 45 minutes.
It’ll take almost a third of the traffic off the highway joining Calgary to Edmonton, says TransPod.
Not only that, but riding the FluxJet will reportedly cost about 44 per cent less than a plane ticket and reduce CO2 emissions by about 636,000 tonnes per year.
‘This milestone is a major leap forward,’ says Ryan Janzen, co-founder and CTO at TransPod.
‘The FluxJet is at a nexus of scientific research, industrial development, and massive infrastructure to address passengers’ needs and reduce our dependence on fossil-fuel-heavy jets and highways.’
At TransPod’s unveiling event in Toronto, a scaled-down prototype was featured in a live demonstration showing its flight capabilities.
The almost 1-tonne vacuum train engaged in take-off, travel, and landing procedures within its guideway.
No further details have been released about how much the FluxJet costs to build or when they might be ready to ride.
Veillance flux is the new field of physics that TransPod says it uses for its FluxJet craft.
It defined a way to represent the amount of information available from one or more cameras pointing in various directions at a complex scene.
Essentially, the cameras are being used to guide the trains in the tube system.
The vehicle is also equipped with aerodynamic and propulsion systems designed specifically to reduce friction.
Essentially, this design allows the magnetically levitated pods to travel at a faster speed than trains, cars and jets.
‘All the hard work over the past few years has led to this milestone moment where talk is becoming a reality,’ TransPod’s co-founder and CEO Sebastien Gendron said.
‘The technology is proven, and we have the confidence of investors, governments and partners to continue pushing forward to redefine transportation effectively.’
Janzen added: ‘The FluxJet is a first for Canadian innovation and is the next great infrastructure project to be brought worldwide.
‘The TransPod Line is being developed in collaboration with our partners in Europe, USA, and beyond, including universities, research centres, the aerospace industry, architecture, railway, and construction partners.’
The vehicle is also equipped with aerodynamic and propulsion systems designed specifically to reduce friction
Essentially, this design allows the magnetically levitated pods to travel at a faster speed than trains, cars and jets
‘All the hard work over the past few years has led to this milestone moment where talk is becoming a reality,’ TransPod’s co-founder and CEO Sebastien Gendron said
The vision bears similarities to Virgin’s Hyperloop network of 600 mph pods that is set to roll out in 2030, while Elon Musk has also proposed a similar system
WHAT IS THE HYPERLOOP?
Hyperloop is a proposed method of travel that would transport people at roughly 700mph between distant locations.
It was unveiled by Elon Musk in 2013, who at the time said it could take passengers the 380 miles (610km) from LA to San Francisco in 30 minutes – half the time it takes a plane.
It is essentially a long tube that has had the air removed to create a vacuum. For safety reasons, Hyperloop tunnels need escape hatches in case of fire.
The tube is suspended off the ground to protect against weather and earthquakes.
There are now a number of firms vying to bring the technology to life, including Elon Musk himself, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, and Virgin Hyperloop One.
As several firms vie to create the first operational Hyperloop, Elon Musk’s vision of a radical transport system that could ferry passengers above land at 760 miles per hour continues to inch closer to reality
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