Elon Musk details 800-mph Hyperloop

Like a giant silver bullet shot from a gun at up to 800 miles per hour, Elon Musk’s Hyperloop promises to transport people (and cars) across California faster than bullet trains -- and at a fraction of the cost. Called Hyperloop, it would entail sleek pods that travel within low-pressure tubes that are nearly airless. 'It’s literally space travel on Earth.' - Daryl Oster, CEO of ET3 Sound crazy? That’s what Daryl Oster said as well. Mr. Oster, meet the competition. Musk is the uber-brainy genius who invented PayPal, privatized outer space through SpaceX and finally made electric cars a commercial force through his company Tesla Motors. In a blog post at the car company's website, he detailed the concept -- after a long night spent dotting I's and crossing T's. The Hyperloop concept is that option, he said, a fifth mode of transportation after planes, trains and automobiles (and boats). He detailed the concept for the Hyperloop in a PDF accompanying his blog post, which explores the entire concept, from concrete pylons to the solar panels that would power the system. According to "Businessweek," which interviewed Musk ahead of his announcement, the pods could in theory travel at high speeds without breaking the sound barrier. “The pod can go just below the speed of sound relative to the air,” Musk said. It's up to Oster and others to turn the idea into reality. See 800-mph Hyperloop transportation system