Virgin Hyperloop One wants to cut 4-day cargo truck journeys to 16 hours
Virgin Hyperloop One and trade logistics company DP World have created a new cargo brand "built for an on-demand world."
Virgin Hyperloop One has teamed up with DP World to create a company to ship cargo via hyperloop.
And here we thought Amazon Prime had fast shipping.
Virgin Hyperloop One wants to get your packages to you even quicker. Richard Branson's futuristic transport company has partnered with supply chain logistics company DP World to create a new cargo company, DP World Cargospeed.
The new company "will be built for an on-demand world" and will use hyperloop technology to deliver freight "at the speed of flight and closer to the cost of trucking," Branson said in a blog post Monday. The hyperloop system will travel at speeds of up to 1,000 kilometers per hour (621 mph) and will "transport high-priority, time-sensitive goods including fresh food, medical supplies, electronics and more."
Virgin Hyperloop One estimates a four-day truck journey can be cut to 16 hours. And it won't cost a fortune to ship the goods, either -- something that's key for the technology to be adopted by retailers and others.
"The global growth of e-commerce is driving a dramatic shift in both consumer and business behavior," Branson said in a press release. He currently serves as the company's chairman. "On-demand deliveries are a novelty today. Tomorrow it will be the expectation."
The only catch is no hyperloops are currently in full operation. The futuristic form of transportation aims to use electromagnetic pulses to shotgun passengers and cargo in pods through low-pressure tubes at near-supersonic speeds. Hyperloop as a concept was brought into the public consciousness in 2013 by SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, who continues to work on the technology. Virgin Hyperloop One, for its part, expects to create a fully operational hyperloop system by 2021.
The Los Angeles company didn't immediately respond to a request for information about when cargo could be shipped via hyperloop.
DP World Cargospeed's hyperloop will travel at speeds of up to 1,000 kilometers per hour (621 mph) and will "transport high-priority, time-sensitive goods."
The company has been going through some turmoil in its ranks. Virgin Hyperloop One rebranded itself in October to add the "Virgin" name after a large investment by Branson. In December, under a cloud of sexual harassment allegations, Executive Chairman Shervin Pishevar took a leave of absence from the company he co-founded. Last month, one of Virgin Hyperloop One's board members was arrested on fraud and embezzlement charges in Russia, and three other high-profile directors left the board.
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