Decoding Elon Musk's latest hyperloop announcement
Elon Musk recently announced that his hyperloop dream moved one step closer to reality in a series of cryptic tweets. He tweeted that the government had verbally approved the New York-Washington DC hyperloop, which would cover the distance in 29 minutes and expressed optimism that formal approval would come soon. However, concerned government authorities have denied his claims. Is Musk's credibility at risk?
What is the Hyperloop?
First proposed by the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, Elon Musk, in 2013, Hyperloop is a transportation system which can transport passengers at supersonic speeds reaching up to 1200 km/h. The Hyperloop uses a mix of electric car and rocket ship technology. It consists of steel vacuum-tubes in which floating capsules are propelled by linear induction motors and air compressors.
The Boring Company speaks out
The Boring Company spokesperson notes that they indeed plan on commencing the project soon. It further claims to have had promising discussions with federal, state and local officials and received verbal support from them for digging tunnels between New York and DC. They further noted that the they expect the formal approval process to conclude this year and start digging by end of 2017!
Did Musk actually get approvals that he is speaking of?
No government authority including transport authorities agreed to have approved Musk's proposal. Further, no authority is qualified to do this, especially for something this large-scale. Some speculate that the approval has come from the Organization of American Innovation overseen by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, although OAI has denied this. This has further led many to conclude that, Musk's claims may be 'off the mark'.
What does this mean for Musk's credibility?
While Musk is known for his futuristic, revolutionary schemes and has made numerous technological leaps, the current comment has been perceived as premature. Further, a video clip from a 2014 interview further shows him tearing up when told by scientists that his space travel vision is bogus, damaging his credibility. Musk could also be going for an effective sales pitch with his claims.
