Virgin Hyperloop: First passengers try high-speed vacuum pods

The new technology, considered to be the future of high-speed ground transport, carries people in pods through vacuum tubes.

Virgin Hyperloop has trialled its first ever journey with human passengers at more than 100mph in the Nevada desert.

Richard Branson‘s new technology, considered to be the future of high-speed ground transport, carries people in pods which travel through vacuum tubes.

The two passengers – Virgin Hyperloop executives Josh Giegel and Sara Luchian – reached speeds of up to 107mph (172kph) at the company’s DevLoop test site in Las Vegas on Sunday.

Footage showed the pod transporting the passengers and taking just 15 seconds to complete the test in the speedy excursion.

The system is designed to allow journeys of up to 670mph (1,079kph) with the technology using electric propulsion with passive magnetic levitation, creating low pressure within the tube which is in near-vacuum conditions.

It is also proposed to be entirely autonomous, quiet, direct-to-destination and on-demand.