Virgin wants to bring Hyperloop to Portugal
Virgin Hyperloop, a company from the universe of millionaire Richard Branson that developed a mobility solution based on a concept proposed by Elon Musk almost a decade ago, is interested in bringing its technology to Portugal. to what the Express found, the company made a first approach to the Portuguese Government in February 2021, addressing a letter of introduction to the Prime Minister, António Costa. In recent months, contacts have been made again between the Executive and the Portuguese company that is working with Virgin Hyperloop on this dossier.
The Hyperloop is a vehicle designed for transporting goods that move at speed in a tube and which is presented as a higher and faster passenger transport solution than conventional transport (each “capsule” can hold up to 28 passengers), according to the Virgin). With a technology design environment inside the tubes, the vehicles use a magnetic pro levitation. Virgin estimates it can reach a speed of 1080 kilometers per hour. In 2020, the organization carried out the first test with flesh-and-blood passengers, covering a 500-meter track in the Nevada desert in 15 seconds, with a maximum speed of 172 kilometers per hour. One of the test subjects was Josh Giegel, one of the company’s founders.
Now, it was Josh Giegel who, on February 15, 2021, appeared in a letter addressed to the Portuguese Prime Minister questioning the interest of the same Government in exploring the mobility solution in which Virgin Hyperloop is operating.
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