Tesla to test fast breaking of hyperloop project

Designers hope to be able to stop the carriages in just 1.2 kilometers.

This would mean going from speeds of 613 kilometers per hour down to zero in just 14 seconds.

Telsa CEO Elon Musk congratulates the winners of the Hyperloop Pod Competition II at SpaceX´s Hyperloop track in Hawthorne, Calif., Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. [Photo: IC]

A report in the Science And Technology Daily suggests that while it would be technically possible to stop the carriages in 14 seconds, the likelihood of it being used in commercial applications will still be a ways off, suggesting human passengers would be put under extreme physical stress during the deceleration.

The Hyperloop, developed by Telsa through electromagnetic levitation technology, is based on a pneumatic tube concept.

A number of countries, including China, have been testing the idea, as it would technically overcome issues such as rail friction, air friction and noise.

This allows for dramatically higher speeds. 

Reports have suggested the Hyperloop technology could be ready for commercial use by 2021. 

However, emergency braking is just one of the obstacles for the program. The Science and Technology Daily report suggests designers still haven't been able to find concrete solutions for other problems, including how to keep electromagnetic levitation stable at high speeds and how to conduct passenger tests.