Musk promises '10km Hyperloop tunnel' in 2020

  • Published
A Hyperloop test pod is surrounded by cheering students from the Munich University TeamImage source, Andreas Heddergott /TUM
Image caption,

Mr Musk's announcement follows the latest speed competition

Elon Musk says he wants a new 10km (six-mile) vacuum tunnel for his futuristic Hyperloop - ready for next year's speed-record competition.

Hyperloop aims to transport people in high-speed pods in underground tubes.

Mr Musk tweeted his plan after the Technical University of Munich set a new record for the fourth year running.

Its pod reached 463km/h (288mph) on the current test tube in the US, which runs for 1.6km straight. Mr Musk said the new vacuum tube would be curved.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post by Elon Musk

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post by Elon Musk

Ultimately, Hyperloop trains will aim for a top speed of 1,220km/h (700mph).

The idea received investment from Richard Branson's Virgin group, which is developing a passenger system called Hyperloop One that it says will have a top speed of 1,080km/h (670mph).

Image source, AFP
Image caption,

No pressure: The Munich team load their new pod