Delft-based Hardt Hyperloop has received a multi-million investment. The money will be used for the realisation of a three-kilometre test track, which should ensure that the first goods are transported by hyperloop in 2025.
Hardt Hyperloop is an initiative of four TU Delft students. The company has been working since 2016 to develop capsules that travel through vacuum tubes. This can achieve speeds of up to 1,000 kilometres per hour. The Delft-based company raised a total of 10 million from domestic and foreign investors. Much of that amount came from Dutch company Koolen Industries.
Three-kilometre test track
Hardt Hyperloop will use the capital injection to build a three-kilometre test track. For now, the technology has been tested on a 30-metre track. That is insufficient to reach top speeds of 700 kilometres per hour. The test track will be part of the European Hyperloop Centre. It is still unclear where this test centre will be located. A decision on this will be made in early 2020. The company says it is considering a location in the Netherlands.
European network
From 2025, the first goods should be transported via the hyperloop. From 2030, it also wants to start transporting passengers on short distances, e.g. from the airport to the city centre. Eventually, it aims to have a complete European network connecting the largest cities.
