China beats Elon Musk's team to take lead in THIS new technology, know how Chinese engineers paved their way

For nearly 200 years, scientists and engineers have dreamed of creating vacuum tube transport — a technology where people and goods could travel at very high speeds in low-pressure tubes. In 2013, American billionaire Elon Musk brought this dream back to life with his idea of the Hyperloop. He promised it would carry passengers between cities at an amazing speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour (621 miles per hour).

Elon Musk’s success with electric cars, satellites, and space rockets made people believe he could make the Hyperloop work too. But the project faced many serious problems. Keeping a large tube sealed tightly without leaks, dealing with magnetic resistance at high speeds, building perfect infrastructure, and maintaining safety proved extremely difficult. In the end, Hyperloop became a symbol of Western ambition that couldn’t overcome real-world technical and financial barriers, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

China’s Success in 2024
While the West struggled, China moved forward. In 2024, Chinese engineers introduced a 2-kilometer-long Hyperloop test track in Yanggao county, Shanxi province. The results of their work were recently published in the Chinese journal Railway Standard Design.

Xu Shengqiao, a senior engineer at the China Railway Engineering Consulting Group, explained how China’s team solved the problems that had stopped Musk’s project. They used steel-concrete tubes with vacuum sealing, smart magnetic systems controlled by AI, and extremely precise construction methods. Their experience with high-speed trains also helped them succeed.

Instead of using expensive metal tubes, Chinese engineers developed special beams combining steel and concrete. They also added layers of materials to reduce magnetic drag and energy loss. Laser-guided technology helped keep the tubes aligned with incredible precision, down to just 0.05 millimeters.

They also created special concrete that could handle extreme weather and vacuum conditions. On July 22, 2024, a test vehicle floated 22 centimeters above the track and traveled the entire 2 kilometers inside the tube. Tiny sensors adjust the magnetic fields in real-time to keep everything stable and safe.

A Cost-Effective and Smart Plan
China’s method was also cost-effective. They built tube sections in factories, cutting costs by 60%. Smaller vacuum pumps were used to save energy, and AI technology helped predict when repairs were needed.

However, there are still big challenges ahead. Building a Hyperloop between major cities like Beijing and Shanghai could cost hundreds of billions of yuan. Engineers will also need to figure out how to manage temperature changes and ensure complete passenger safety.

Still, China’s achievement marks an important step in making Hyperloop travel a real possibility in the future.