Elon Musk moves at about the speed of light these days, with new ideas and companies popping up one after another. He’s, of course, got Tesla, The Boring Company, Hyperloop One, SpaceX, and Neuralink, to name a few. Where this man gets his energy from alone is a complete mystery, but I certainly want some of what he’s drinking. The biggest hype lately has fallen between two companies – Hyperloop One and Space X. Space X is doing big things with launches and landings, and meanwhile, Hyperloop One just completed its first successful test run. Not that long ago, a list of potential Hyperloop One routes was released that included several from across the U.S. but more than 30 from across the globe. It was looking like the U.S. might not even see the first one, and if we did, it would likely be a 488-mile loop between Chicago and Pittsburgh or a 640-mile loop that covers the Texas Triangle. Now, Elon Musk has taken to twitter, ultimately claiming to have received verbal approval to build one right on the East Coast.

The track in question would connect New York City, to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C., at their city centers with up to a dozen elevators for entry in each city. This would, of course, be an underground route and would put The Boring Company to work for quite some time while construction was in progress. Of course, Musk also had to make it a point to say he got that verbal approval in just 29 minutes. Tooting his own horn aside, that’s a pretty admirable accomplishment, but it’s still a long way from making the first Hyperloop track a reality. So, with that in mind, this track would revolutionize travel in one of the busiest corridors of the nation, but I wouldn’t start selling off your car, bus pass, or frequent flyer miles just yet.

The Story has Been Unfolding Nonstop

Just this year alone, Hyperloop One has made huge strides in the right direction. The story starts out back in January when Musk started talking about a five-mile Hyperloop test track. Four months later, news of the 35 global teams attempting to present the most feasible routes along with a list of potential U.S. sites were released. A few weeks later, someone leaked a shot of the first hole driller with The Boring Company’s logo on the side. At the same time, Musk was already digging in Space X’s parking lot, but just a few weeks later we got a look at the initial staging area and the boring machine getting ready to do the deed. The trail went cold after that for a couple of months until the middle of July when Hyperloop one successfully completed its first test run:

Hyperloop Test Run

The Boring Company Sled Test

Warning: this video could trigger a seizure in those with epilepsy or motion sickness, so please proceed with caution

So What’s Next?

Let me just throw it out there that verbal approval means absolutely nothing. That’s like accepting someone’s word that they are going to pay you back $1 million next week. It sounds promising, and maybe even looks promising, but that doesn’t make it a reality. Until all four cities issue official approval for such a route to be commissioned and constructed, that verbal approval is nothing more than some nice words that give us hope. After all, it would be a great place for a Hyperloop track. That particular part of the U.S. is excessively busy, and traffic is just hell. So, I have to say it’s definitely a great candidate for the first official route. Hopefully, Musk will really get the approval he needs so he can start digging and making it a reality. Until then, it’s safe to assume that Hyperloop One will continue its system testing and development. The question is, which will come first? Another company, Neuralink actually interfacing humans and computers, SpaceX landing humans on Mars, or the Hyperloop route from D.C. to NYC? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

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