Hyperloop: The Solar Powered Mass Transit Solution Of The Future?

On August 12, 2013, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, unveiled his much-anticipated preliminary design for a "Hyperloop" system that he hopes will revolutionize mass transit and significantly reduce transportation-related carbon emissions. As Mr. Musk explains, existing conventional modes of mass transit between cities consist of three main types, each with its own pro and con matrix:

1. Rail – expensive, slow, often environmentally sound 
2. Road – inexpensive, slow, not environmentally sound 
3. Air – expensive, fast, not environmentally sound

Instead, Mr. Musk is proposing a new mode of transport that combines the benefits of rail, road, and air without any of their negative aspects. With its inspiration derived from pneumatic tubes used to send mail and packages within and between buildings, the Hyperloop would transport people and cargo between cities inside low-pressurized tubes travelling at speeds in excess of 1,000 kilometers per