LOS ANGELES, Sept. 23, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following successful visits to Ohio, Texas, and Kansas, Virgin Hyperloop One (VHO) today announced five new stops on its national roadshow. The roadshow across the country gives local communities a first-hand look at the historic test pod and showcases the science and promise of this futuristic transit technology.
“The level of enthusiasm we saw in Columbus, Arlington, and Kansas City shows that there is a real demand for this technology from the very people who would be passengers using the system,” said Jay Walder, Virgin Hyperloop One CEO. “Based on the overwhelming response, we are adding New York, Columbia, St. Louis, Raleigh, and Washington D.C. as stops on our American roadshow.”
New York, New York: September 27, 2019
VHO will partner with Tishman Speyer to host a public viewing of the XP-1 test pod at Rockefeller Plaza on September 27, 2019.
The event is free and open to the public from 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM at Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan (between 49th and 50th Streets and 5th and 6th Avenues). From 3:30 - 5:30 PM, there will be special STEM discussions for children of all ages.
Columbia, Missouri: October 3-4, 2019
Following the stop in New York, the pod will head to Columbia, Missouri where it will be on display at the University of Missouri Francis Quadrangle (410 S 6th St., Columbia, MO 65211) from 12:00 PM on October 3 to 12:00 PM on October 4. In addition to the public viewing, Virgin Hyperloop One engineers will host a guest lecture for the College of Engineering, where they will outline the principles behind hyperloop and answer student questions.
“As a cutting edge research university, Mizzou is thrilled to host the Virgin Hyperloop One XP-1 pod on campus. Being able to see the technology up close and engage with the team of engineers bringing this technology to fruition is such a unique opportunity for our students,” said Elizabeth Loboa, Vice Chancellor for Strategic Partnerships and Dean of College of Engineering at the University of Missouri.
St. Louis, Missouri: October 5-7, 2019
Next the pod will head to St. Louis, Missouri where it will be at the 2019 American Association of State Highway and Transport Officials (AASHTO) Annual Meeting. The pod will be on display during conference hours on October 5, 6, and 7 at the Marriott St. Louis Grand (800 Washington Ave St. Louis, Missouri 63101)
“Missouri is at the forefront of the hyperloop movement, so naturally there has been a lot of interest and support for this technology. Since everyone can’t get out to the DevLoop test site in Nevada to see the technology for themselves, we’re lucky to be able to showcase it here instead,” said Andrew Smith, Co-Chairman of the Missouri Hyperloop Coalition and Vice Chair of the Missouri Hyperloop Blue Ribbon Panel.
Raleigh, North Carolina: October 11, 2019
After St. Louis, XP-1 will be on display at the Triangle J Council of Governments’ Regional Summit in Pittsboro, North Carolina in partnership with North Carolina’s Regional Transportation Alliance (RTA). The pod will be on display at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center (1192 US-64 BUS, Pittsboro, NC 27312) from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
“Since initiating a pre-feasibility analysis in July, we’ve been working with the VHO team to advance further conversations on the potential of hyperloop technology in the Research Triangle,” said Joe Milazzo II, PE, Executive Director, Regional Transportation Alliance. “As the ‘first in-flight’ state, we are pleased to have the hyperloop vehicle that completed VHO’s Kitty Hawk moment come to the North Carolina – as a nod to our state’s transportation history as well as our mobility innovation future.”
Washington, D.C.: October 16, 2019
For the last stop on the U.S. roadshow, XP-1 will be heading to Washington, D.C. where it will be on display on Capitol Hill. Further details will be released in the coming weeks.
National Momentum
In the United States, nine states are now exploring hyperloop including Missouri, Texas, Colorado, Ohio, North Carolina, as well as Nevada, which hosts the VHO test site. The United States House of Representatives recently fully funded the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao’s New and Emerging Transportation Technologies (NETT) Council, which was established to research and standardize hyperloop technology.
VHO’s hyperloop system will be able to transport people and goods at nearly 700 miles per hour in depressurized environments via magnetic levitation. It will be able to carry more people than a subway, at airline speeds and with zero direct emissions. By combining an ultra-efficient electric motor, magnetic levitation, and a low-drag environment, the VHO hyperloop system will be more energy-efficient than an airplane and faster than high-speed rail using less energy.
About Virgin Hyperloop One
Virgin Hyperloop One is the only hyperloop company who has built a full-scale hyperloop test track and has completed hundreds of test runs to date, launching the first new mode of mass transportation in over 100 years. The company successfully operated a full-scale hyperloop vehicle using electric propulsion and electromagnetic levitation under near-vacuum conditions, realizing a fundamentally new form of transportation that is faster, safer, cheaper, and more sustainable than existing modes. The company is now working with governments, partners, and investors around the world to make hyperloop a reality in years, not decades. They currently have projects underway in Missouri, Texas, Colorado, the Midwest, India, and the UAE. Learn more about Virgin Hyperloop One’s technology, vision, and ongoing projects here.