THAT COULD BE AN INKLING FOR
WHERE THE WORLD IS GOING FOR
FAST, EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION.
JAKE WALTER JOINS US NOW, THE
VIRGIN HYPERLOOP CEO.
VERY GOOD TO HAVE YOU.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT HOW THIS WHOLE HYPERLOOP
PHENOMENON WORKS?
>> SURE.
SURE.
SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
LOOK, THIS IS A REALLY REALLY
EXCITING TIME FOR US.
AFTER HAVING REALLY YEARS OF
DEVELOPING THE HYPERLOOP
TECHNOLOGY, WE NOW ANNOUNCED THE
HYPERLOOP CERTIFICATION CENTER
WILL BE IN THE STATE OF WEST
VIRGINIA AND THIS REALLY GIVES
US THE OPPORTUNITY NOW TO MOVE
FORWARD ON THE COMMERCIALIZATION
AND DEPLOYMENT OF HYPERLOOP FOR
THE UNITED STATES AND BEYOND.
SO WHAT ARE WE REALLY LOOKING AT
HERE?
WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT THE
FIRST NEW FORM OF MASS
TRANSPORTATION THAT WE HAVE HAD
IN OVER 100 YEARS.
WE ARE LOOKING AT TRANSPORTATION
THAT WILL BE INCREDIBLY FAST, UP
TO 670 MILES PER HOUR.
WE ARE LOOKING AT TRANSPORTATION
THAT WILL BE HIGH CAPACITY, THAT
WILL CARRY PEOPLE AND CARGO
SIMULTANEOUSLY SO IT MEETS OUR
NEEDS IN BOTH OF THOSE AREAS.
AIN’T WILL HAVE A LOT MORE TO DO
WITH RIDE HAILING THAN IT DOES
WITH TRAIN SCHEDULES.
IT WILL BE FLEXIBLE, IT WILL BE
ON DEMAND.
THE LAST PART OF IT THAT I
REALLY LOVE IS THAT IT WILL
ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THAT WITHOUT
POLLUTING THE AIR THAT WE
BREATHE.
SO WE REALLY PUT TOGETHER A
PACKAGE OF HOW TO BE ABLE TO DO
THIS THAT GIVES US WHAT WE WANT,
THAT WE’LL BE ABLE TO CONNECT
PLACES IN WAYS THAT PERHAPS WE
HAVE NEVER IMAGINED BEFORE, AND
I THINK WE WILL OPEN UP
INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US.
NEIL: IT’S OBVIOUSLY A HUGE IN
INFRASTRUCTURE UNDERTAKING TO
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE SPEEDS,
600 MILES AN HOUR.
IT WOULD BE IDEAL TO HOOK UP
CITIES.
I WONDER WHEN I HEAR ABOUT THIS,
WHAT WOULD IT DO TO THE AIRLINE
INDUSTRY?
>> WELL, I THINK IT REALLY WORKS
BEST FOR ROUTES THAT ARE WHAT
THE AIRLINES REFER TO AS SHORT
HAUL.
IT’S NOT CHANGING NEW YORK TO
LOS ANGELES, FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT I DO THINK IT OFFERS A MUCH,
MUCH MORE CONVENIENT WAY OF
CONNECTING CITIES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
I THINK THE WAY TO THINK ABOUT
THIS IS REALLY TO THINK ABOUT
WHAT WE DID IN CREATING THE
INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM.
WE CREATED THAT SYSTEM IN 1956.
DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER WAS STILL
PRESIDENT AT THAT TIME.
AND THE CONNECTIVITY THAT CAME
FROM THAT ALLOWED US TO REALLY
REIMAGINE HOW WE CONNECTED
PLACES WITHIN OUR COUNTRY.
BUT WE NOW HAVE IN OUR MINDS
THAT THE TIME IT TAKES TO GET
BETWEEN PLACES IS DEFINED BY THE
HIGHWAY SYSTEM.
WE CAN CHANGE THAT.
TODAY, IF YOU WANT TO GO FROM
COLUMBUS TO PITTSBURGH, THAT’S A
THREE-HOUR TRIP.
WITH HYPERLOOP, IT’S 25 MINUTES.
THAT’S THE TYPE OF THINKING THAT
WE ARE BRINGING INTO THIS RIGHT
NOW.
NEIL: JAY, THERE ARE A LOT OF
VERY RICH GUYS WHO ARE LOOKING
AT THE WHOLE HYPERLOOP
PHENOMENON.
I KNOW ELON MUSK OF TESLA FAME,
SPACEX, OBVIOUSLY RICHARD
BRANSON, A HOST OF OTHERS ARE.
ARE THEY ALL ON THE SAME
STANDARD HERE?
IN OTHER WORDS, THIS ISN’T LIKE
THE ELECTRIC BATTERY THING WHERE
THERE ARE DIFFERENT STANDARDS
FOR DIFFERENT CARS, DIFFERENT
MAKERS?
HOW ARE THEY COORDINATING, OR
ARE THEY?
>> WELL, HERE’S A PLACE WHERE I
REALLY HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE THE
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION CAME
OUT VERY VERY RECENTLY AND SAID
THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE A
LEADERSHIP POSITION IN DEFINING
THE REGULATIONS FOR HYPERLOOP.
AND SHE PUT THE RESPONSIBILITY
WITH THAT FOR THE FEDERAL
RAILWAY ADMINISTRATION.
SHE’S VERY CLEAR ABOUT THE FACT
THAT THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR
THE U.S. TO TAKE A LEADERSHIP
POSITION IN BEING ABLE TO DO IT.
ULTIMATELY, THERE WILL BE
STANDARDS THAT COME FROM THIS.
CERTAINLY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THERE ARE STANDARDS THAT ACHIEVE
THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR EVERYBODY.
I THINK WE WILL GET THERE.
I DON’T THINK THAT’S THE MOST
DIFFICULT CHALLENGE FOR US TO BE
ABLE TO MEET.
NEIL: LOOKS VERY COOL.
LOOKS VERY VERY COOL.
WE WILL SEE HOW IT GOES.
IT COULD BE A WHOLE NEW
INITIATIVE HERE.