American entrepreneur, engineer and inventor, Elon Musk laughs when he hears about the plans for HS2. Gavin Esler interviews Musk on BBC2's Newsnight, 24th Ocober 2013.
Seriously, Gavin, how is the UK behind California in terms of railway infrastructure? Also, Musk isn't calling for HS2 to be cancelled. What he is saying is that HS2 isn't ambitious enough. He is alluding to Maglev technology and suggests we should be investing in those technologies.
Elon Musk seems to not realise that Maglev is a British invention that couldnt find a practical British use-case in its four decades of life, the key flaw with maglev is its difficulty with InterCity, in the UK we just dont have large enough cities far enough apart to make an economic case for the tech, you would need a city of over 1'million in either Cornwall or the Highlands! HS2 is the peak of metal rail based transportation, he instead should be having a go at those politicians and "commentators" who are trying to value engineer HS2 further and remove its future-proofing speed design to save a few pennies in the short term. It has taken a decade to get HS2 through politics to the build phase. So what exactly does Elon Musk think about democracy and tax payers money?
The California HSR system will -- to borrow from tech -- DISRUPT the California real estate market. Suddenly lowly Bakersfield and Fresno and Merced will be viable places to live and do business because each will only be a short train ride from LA or SF. So California HSR isn't really about getting from LA to SF in the quickest time possible, nor should it be.
Like? It costs that much because of the real-estate and land costs, no other land-based tech can get round that, Elon Musks ideas would just end up costing more with far greater risk as they are unproven. How would you get such a risky unproven project through the politics seeing as HS2 using an industry standard took a decade? The engineering is actually straight-forward and has capacity built in to upgrade for possibly of 400kmph speed improvements in future.
Even a 15 year old (with a tiny dose entrepreneurial common sense) would have been to work out that the speed of HS2 by 2033 is not really progress when Japan has been running faster trains for many years before today. Real progress has to be distinct. .something never explored before
Japan currently has no public train services that are faster than the operational speeds of HS2, so not sure what mean by "Japan has been running faster trains for many years before today". Sure Japan is building a maglev line (a British invention by the way) as metal rails are difficult to push much more in the speed department but that is an incredibly costly project and is being done for reasons of national prestige, a technolgoy and cost which would have little benefit to the UK needing to relieve congestion on its current InterCity network as quickly as possible.
Hyperloop test track is being unveiled this year. We should definitely have this in the UK. It'd cost a fraction of what HS2 would cost, be more environmentally friendly and may possibly not have to run it via people's back gardens!
Why would it cost less than HS2? Most of HS2's costs are in land and real estate acquistion something every land-based transport tech would have to pay out.
You havent a clue what you are talking about. It is replacing the current InterCity services with new track, allowing the legacy track used by InterCity services to be freed up for more local services. Nothing to do with commuting to London.
Hyperloop is just that hype.
Seriously, Gavin, how is the UK behind California in terms of railway infrastructure? Also, Musk isn't calling for HS2 to be cancelled. What he is saying is that HS2 isn't ambitious enough. He is alluding to Maglev technology and suggests we should be investing in those technologies.
Ps actually hs2 will faster then california high speed rail
Elon Musk seems to not realise that Maglev is a British invention that couldnt find a practical British use-case in its four decades of life, the key flaw with maglev is its difficulty with InterCity, in the UK we just dont have large enough cities far enough apart to make an economic case for the tech, you would need a city of over 1'million in either Cornwall or the Highlands! HS2 is the peak of metal rail based transportation, he instead should be having a go at those politicians and "commentators" who are trying to value engineer HS2 further and remove its future-proofing speed design to save a few pennies in the short term. It has taken a decade to get HS2 through politics to the build phase. So what exactly does Elon Musk think about democracy and tax payers money?
Bullshit title, and it has nothing to do with HS2, he simply laughs at us being behind California from a rail perspective.
Clearly never heard of HS2 so the idea that he was laughing at it is... well, laughable.
The California HSR system will -- to borrow from tech -- DISRUPT the California real estate market. Suddenly lowly Bakersfield and Fresno and Merced will be viable places to live and do business because each will only be a short train ride from LA or SF. So California HSR isn't really about getting from LA to SF in the quickest time possible, nor should it be.
Jacob Mecklenborg what's the update? Sounded interesting and was a good point
I don’t see why you can’t have both. Build a hyperloop between Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds & Newcastle. If it fails, at least we tried.
I’m the 1000th subscriber
Let’s be honest, we can do a lot better than hs2, especially considering how much it’s costing
Like? It costs that much because of the real-estate and land costs, no other land-based tech can get round that, Elon Musks ideas would just end up costing more with far greater risk as they are unproven. How would you get such a risky unproven project through the politics seeing as HS2 using an industry standard took a decade? The engineering is actually straight-forward and has capacity built in to upgrade for possibly of 400kmph speed improvements in future.
Even a 15 year old (with a tiny dose entrepreneurial common sense) would have been to work out that the speed of HS2 by 2033 is not really progress when Japan has been running faster trains for many years before today.
Real progress has to be distinct. .something never explored before
Japan currently has no public train services that are faster than the operational speeds of HS2, so not sure what mean by "Japan has been running faster trains for many years before today". Sure Japan is building a maglev line (a British invention by the way) as metal rails are difficult to push much more in the speed department but that is an incredibly costly project and is being done for reasons of national prestige, a technolgoy and cost which would have little benefit to the UK needing to relieve congestion on its current InterCity network as quickly as possible.
Hyperloop test track is being unveiled this year. We should definitely have this in the UK. It'd cost a fraction of what HS2 would cost, be more environmentally friendly and may possibly not have to run it via people's back gardens!
Yes, if it was physically possible.
Hyperloop is bullshit haha, watch some videos debunking it.
It really wouldn't cost less than HS2 - speaking as a hyperloop enthusiast here
I have to disagree, the hyperloop is extremely dangerous
Why would it cost less than HS2? Most of HS2's costs are in land and real estate acquistion something every land-based transport tech would have to pay out.
As I predicted 5 years ago. Hs2 will never go beyond Birmingham. It’s just another London commuter service.
You havent a clue what you are talking about. It is replacing the current InterCity services with new track, allowing the legacy track used by InterCity services to be freed up for more local services. Nothing to do with commuting to London.
We need hyperloop
Hs2 is a joke lol.