Very cool to see this technology progress. Will be interesting to track. China certainly has shown that it both can invest in and build public infrastructure at an amazing scale and pace.
It's a little concerning that this isn't really a sale - it's a joint venture. From the article:
"HyperloopTT will form a joint venture with the Tongren authorities, according to the Guizhou provincial government, though the company’s announcement didn’t say whether it would be expected to transfer technology."
Has to be taken with a bit of caution as we've seen how this worked out in high speed rail:
"China's early high-speed trains were imported or built under technology transfer agreements with foreign train-makers including Alstom, Siemens, Bombardier and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Since the initial technological support, Chinese engineers have re-designed internal train components and built indigenous trains manufactured by the state-owned CRRC Corporation." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_China]
You'll find that China now is battling for dominance in the global high speed rail market and the formerly leading European providers (Seimens, Altrom) and in trouble and may have to merge just to survive.
China probably sees it as being in their long-term interest to prop up American hyperloop companies so that Americans don't come to their senses and build trains. The longer we're distracted by hyperloops, on-demand taxi services, and self-driving cars the deeper our technological hole becomes.
While I was traveling in Beijing I remember hearing stories that the Chinese hired Japanese contractors to build the rail. Had them build one track of the rail and sent them home. Then they copied their design and built the rest of the railway.
Tongren county? That is like out in the middle of nowhere (well, near fenghuang in hunan) and is only known as a tourist destination for seeing Miao (Hmong) villagers. Strange.
Backpackers should visit this place, it’s like yangshuo/Lijiang before they became saturated.
Looks like the eventual plan is to link the airport to a tourist spot and the city is just the first stop on the way through. Might also be cheaper/easier to do in a less populated area.
Since the capacity of a Hyperloop system is close to zero (less than 1000 passengers per hour, much less than a lane of highway and two orders of magnitude less than an ordinary railroad), it doesn't really matter where you put it.
"Cool" and "new" usually ends up meaning "expensive" and "proprietary" later on, especially if it's not standards conforming and tries to reinvent the wheel.
> We can't build any public infrastructure in the US anymore.
I know it feels that way, but it's not strictly true. Here in Seattle in the last decade we've built a new floating bridge, multiple miles of underground light rail track, and nearly two miles of deep bore road tunnel.
I think there is a real problem that our new infrastructure is way too expensive and takes way too long to build, but we've demonstrated that we can definitely build new stuff.
We are building a new, cool mass-transit system here, there's going to be a small-bore tunnel with electric skates between downtown Chicago and the airport.
That is just a regular type tunnel built by the Boring Company and using electric vehicles in it. Not an evacuated tunnel with very fast vehicles. Spending extra for Hyperloop speeds really only make sense for longer distances. Not sure why this Chinese project is so short unless it is just a bigger type demo for the company and China hopes to acquire the technology like it has for so many other advanced systems invented in the west.
This move was very puzzling to me, in light of Trump's trade tactics. Especially, of his accusations that China "steals" American technology.
So, given this, why would any new American company, choose to enter into a 51/49 partnership with China? Where China has the majority share, and where the American company must share with their Chinese partner, all the system processes, techniques, and new technology of their product.
This is just adding fuel to the fire, and the resentment that Americans have of the Chinese people.
Here, the American company is willingly entering into such a business agreement. The Chinese side is not holding a gun to the American company's head.
For the Chinese side, they are investing a lot of money into this research project, to fund this hare-brained idea. So, there is a lot of risk on their part, that nothing will emerge from this.
The alternative, is that the American company can just choose not to do it. Don't accept the money. Go it alone. Don't enter the Chinese market. The rest of the world is a huge playground as it is.
Political theater isn't the same as business opportunity analysis. Also keep in mind that the US presidency has a limit of two terms. If Trump enters into the calculations, he doesn't enter into them permanently. Transportation systems, especially rail, are long term investments.
Readit News
It's a little concerning that this isn't really a sale - it's a joint venture. From the article:
"HyperloopTT will form a joint venture with the Tongren authorities, according to the Guizhou provincial government, though the company’s announcement didn’t say whether it would be expected to transfer technology."
Has to be taken with a bit of caution as we've seen how this worked out in high speed rail:
"China's early high-speed trains were imported or built under technology transfer agreements with foreign train-makers including Alstom, Siemens, Bombardier and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Since the initial technological support, Chinese engineers have re-designed internal train components and built indigenous trains manufactured by the state-owned CRRC Corporation." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_China]
You'll find that China now is battling for dominance in the global high speed rail market and the formerly leading European providers (Seimens, Altrom) and in trouble and may have to merge just to survive.
"European rivals unite as CRRC threatens to corner train market " [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-27/alstom-si...]
[https://www.credit-suisse.com/corporate/en/articles/news-and...]
Isn't that kinda a given at this point when dealing with the Chinese state?
the train or the tunnel?
And how is that working out for California? Rail is by far the single most expensive form of transportation on a per-passenger basis.
Backpackers should visit this place, it’s like yangshuo/Lijiang before they became saturated.
Deleted Comment
I see these claims every now and then and never have seen a decent justification. Would be great to have that to have a more informed debate ...
Deleted Comment
Shame.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vactrain
See: BART
China has 16,000 miles of high-speed rail. We have essentially zero. It makes more sense to build this in China.
They already have high-speed and low-speed maglev trains.
Not unless you nix the tube and just build a reliable high speed rail system.
I know it feels that way, but it's not strictly true. Here in Seattle in the last decade we've built a new floating bridge, multiple miles of underground light rail track, and nearly two miles of deep bore road tunnel.
I think there is a real problem that our new infrastructure is way too expensive and takes way too long to build, but we've demonstrated that we can definitely build new stuff.
Oh, its in an expensive pointless vacuum tube? Is that the "new/cool" part?
Edit: clarified what "it" is.
So, given this, why would any new American company, choose to enter into a 51/49 partnership with China? Where China has the majority share, and where the American company must share with their Chinese partner, all the system processes, techniques, and new technology of their product.
This is just adding fuel to the fire, and the resentment that Americans have of the Chinese people.
Here, the American company is willingly entering into such a business agreement. The Chinese side is not holding a gun to the American company's head.
For the Chinese side, they are investing a lot of money into this research project, to fund this hare-brained idea. So, there is a lot of risk on their part, that nothing will emerge from this.
The alternative, is that the American company can just choose not to do it. Don't accept the money. Go it alone. Don't enter the Chinese market. The rest of the world is a huge playground as it is.
It is their company. They presumably care about making money. And if someone offers them lots of money, why wouldn't they accept it?