In a bid to accelerate the development of the hyperloop and enable a fast and sustainable form of revolutionary transportation, 15 million euros has been awarded to Dutch company Hardt Hyperloop by the European Commission.
This marks the very first time that the European Commission has provided financial support to a hyperloop company. The grant to Hardt showcases the European Commission’s commitment to achieving Europe’s sustainability goals.
“It’s great to have now gained the trust of the European Commission,” says Tim Houter, co-founder of Hardt Hyperloop. “Their support will help to accelerate the development of a European hyperloop network, bringing us much closer to significant CO2 savings. European cities will be connected smarter, faster and cheaper.”
Specifically, the grant will go towards not only the development of the hyperloop but also the European Hyperloop Centre in Groningen, Netherlands. According to Hardt, the European Hyperloop Centre will enable lane-switching which is said to be the key to a hyperloop network that can offer direct journeys without the need for intermediate stops.
“A great next step after the European Hyperloop Center would be to establish a first route in the Netherlands within this decade,” explains Hardt. “If this route is realised in the Netherlands, we will be on track to achieving a broad European hyperloop network that can save 160 Megatonnes of CO2 on an annual basis, more than the entire CO2 emissions of the Netherlands.”
All images in this article are courtesy of Hardt Hyperloop.
