Officials Test Propulsion Of Hyperloop One In Nevada

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Imagine traveling from Los Angeles to San Francisco in just 30 minutes.

This mode of transportation could soon become a reality for commuters.

The first Hyperloop One propulsion test took place around 10:00 a.m. Wednesday in the Nevada Desert.

Investors watched as an electric motor, traveling at speeds of up to 300 miles per hour, sped across a half-mile long test track.

Ultimately, the Los Angeles-based company wants to carry passengers at 750 miles per hour.

Hyperloop One has pods that carry passengers inside of low pressure tubes, which uses electromagnets to operate.

The company hopes to carry out a full system test before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, competition continues to escalate over designs for the final product.

Earlier this week, another Los Angeles-based company called Hyperloop Transportation Technology (HTT), which is led by NASA, announced it wants to use passive magnetic levitation to run the Hyperloop.

This system would not require power sources along the track, which would make it safer and cheaper to build and operate, according to HTT.

A third company out of San Francisco is also working on its own system.

Officials say the final Hyperloop product is expected to launch in 2020.