PUEBLO COUNTY, Colorado — Swisspod, the Swiss-American company planning to build and test a full-scale hyperloop prototype in Pueblo, took an early step this week in the eventual construction of that project.
Company CEO Denis Tudor shared a photo on Twitter of crews taking soil samples on the PuebloPlex property in preparation for the construction of the test track.
We started the development of the full-scale testing facility in Colorado! pic.twitter.com/8NVIFbdXFx
— Denis Tudor (@denetudor) March 29, 2022
Tudor explained that the tests will give engineers valuable data for designing and building that full-scale prototype.
"Once we have these tests complete and get those parameters, we'll be ready to start manufacturing the infrastructure," Tudor said.
He estimated that the company could begin pouring concrete for the structure within another two months.
The company already built a fully-functional 1/6th scale prototype at their headquarters in Switzerland. The Pueblo prototype will look similar, only larger.
Tudor said Swisspod is preparing for an industry-first hour-long test of their hyperloop system on the reduced-scale track in Switzerland this summer.
"This one-hour ride will be capable of showing the fundamentals (of the Swisspod) such as energy consumption, carbon neutrality, and speed," Tudor said.
The Swisspod design creates pods that can carry cargo or passengers between major cities in minutes. The pods will be propelled on magnetic levitation tracks and travel through a vacuum-sealed tube at near subsonic speeds.
The design calls for the propulsion system to be carbon neutral.
Tudor explained that the upcoming test will allow his company to benchmark their design before taking the prototype full-scale in the US.
In September, Swisspod and the Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated (TTCI) announced a partnership to build the full-scale test track at the PuebloPlex property.
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