The Does LogisticsMatter? Podcast is all about trends and innovations in supply chain and logistics. This episode features Rik Roeske and Edwin Wenink of Hardt Hyperloop. Thank you Rik and Edwin, for sharing more about what the Hyperloop can mean for the world of supply chain and logistics and for giving me a tour of the Hyperloop office and the test centre. It was very exciting to talk about and be around an innovation like the Hyperloop.
The Hyperloop: an Introduction
The Hyperloop is a concept that was created by a joint team of Tesla and SpaceX. It is a system of tubes with low air pressure through which pods move without, or with minimal friction. The Dutch scale-up Hardt started in 2017 when they entered and won the first Hyperloop competition held by Elon Musk.
Hardt has since developed a testing facility in Delft where they can test with low speeds and are currently creating a full-scale test track in Groningen where they will be able to test their Hyperloop system at speed.
The vision of Hardt is a 10,000 km Hyperloop network connecting the whole of Europe, that will move people and freight at speeds of up to 400 kilometres an hour.
The Hyperloop: a New Modality
Currently, people and freight move around the world by road, rail, water, and air. Within the next 10 years, there will be a completely new modality: the Hyperloop. So the Hyperloop isn’t just another way to transport goods it will mean a complete shift in how supply chains operate. This is because the system is so fast and so flexible that it will probably be the first system that can actually cope with the fast-changing demands of the consumers of today (and 10 years from now).
Cargoloop: The Hyperloop for Freight
Hardt has called the Hyperloop system it is designing for the transportation of freight the Cargoloop. Cargoloop will be a network of tubes with a diameter of 2.1 meters, through which thousands of small pods move at very high speeds carrying up to 2 pallets worth of cargo.
Want to know more about how a Hyperloop system works? Where the first Cargoloop trajectory will be built? What the impact will be on supply chains? Listen to the conversation I had with Rik and Edwin. Just click the button of your favorite podcast app below:
Click the button of your favorite podcast app below:
Hyperloop image by Hardt Hyperloop
