Hyperloop now plans test near North Las Vegas before end of June

Hyperloop One will test its transportation technology at an industrial park near North Las Vegas before the end of June.

That’s the latest in an online post published Thursday by Hyperloop One vice president of strategic communications Bruce Upbin.

“Once the first brand new mode of transportation in more than 100 years makes its maiden run,” Upbin said, “this stretch of scrubby Nevada desert (empty except for the tortoise friends we’ve adopted over the last few months) will stake a claim as a future national historic site.”

The Los Angeles-based company published images of its development track, called DevLoop, showing the project at its most complete.

What remains is some tubes to be lifted and welded into place as well as a motor and autonomous control system.

The test, which Hyperloop One will conduct during the first half of the year at Apex Industrial Park, will last only 10 to 20 seconds, Upbin said.

About 150 engineers, technicians, and fabricators have worked on the project for about five months. The track weighs about 2 million pounds.

In February, the company received construction permits from Clark County detailing some of the work and cost going into the track.

The hyperloop concept was described in a 2013 white paper by Elon Musk, also known as the face of commercial spaceflight company SpaceX and carmaker Tesla.

Should the hyperloop concept prove successful, it could send Las Vegas passengers to Los Angeles in 26 minutes, according to a 2016 report from NASA.

Contact Wade Tyler Millward at wmillward@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4602. Follow @wademillward on Twitter.