The European Hyperloop sets a new speed record and accelerates towards 700 km/h.

Barcelona and Paris could be just an hour away . Currently, a direct flight takes around 1 hour and 55 minutes, a high-speed train journey takes about 6 hours and 16 minutes, and a car journey takes about 10 hours. The promise of Hyperloop, the project pioneered by Elon Musk a decade ago, seeks to take trains to speeds exceeding 1,000 km/h via capsules traveling in vacuum tubes. Several European companies are conducting full-scale tests to validate the technology and prepare for its commercial deployment, which is not imminent.

Hardt Hyperloop has set a new milestone in Europe. In its most recent test at the European Hyperloop Center in Veendam, the Netherlands, the pod reached 85 km/h and successfully completed a lane-change maneuver. Projected to life-size, this speed would be equivalent to around 700 km/h, approaching the goals envisioned for commercial Hyperloop and demonstrating how pods can change lanes without losing stability or control.

The European Hyperloop Center is designed to test all critical elements of the system. Its 420-meter track allows for testing magnetic levitation, propulsion, and autonomous control of the pods, replicating conditions that closely resemble real-life Hyperloop operations. This infrastructure facilitates rapid prototype testing and engineering adjustments, providing European companies with a safe environment to experiment with different technologies without compromising stability or efficiency.

Hardt Hyperloop isn't the only company working in Europe. Swisspod in Switzerland and Zeleros in Spain are also developing advanced pods and propulsion systems, each with its own particular focus on magnetic levitation and energy efficiency. Collaboration between these companies, universities, and research centers allows for knowledge sharing and accelerated innovation, fine-tuning designs and testing new materials before commercial implementation.

The tests conducted so far have a dual purpose: first, to achieve record speeds, and second, to verify the feasibility of complex maneuvers and the capsules' autonomous operation. Each test provides essential data that allows for optimizing aerodynamics, improving safety, and increasing system efficiency. These results are used to fine-tune capsule designs, test new materials, and refine the propulsion and magnetic levitation systems.

Hardt Hyperloop emphasizes that "this breakthrough is an important step toward making Hyperloop a scalable and sustainable transportation technology." Company officials add that "the testing infrastructure allows for simulating real-world operating conditions and fine-tuning prototypes before commercial implementation."

The test's greatest success was the lane-change maneuver. The pod completed this section with complete stability and without losing control, demonstrating the reliability of the Hardt Hyperloop design. After reaching 85 km/h (53 mph) in the first 459 meters, it successfully performed the lane-change maneuver over a 155-meter stretch and finally traveled the final 100 meters of the track while gradually slowing to a smooth stop, safely closing the test and exceeding its original design speed.

Hardt's future plans include expanding its facilities and testing. To this end, it will build a 3- to 5-kilometer demonstration route, followed by a 30- to 50-kilometer operational line, as part of its commercial development plan. Global interest in this technology is accelerating following the approval of a demonstration line between Venice and Padua, Italy.