> I always come to these hyperloop criticisms expecting to find some sort of fatal flaw in the physics of energy efficient supersonic travel. But to my surprise, they instead
Except, as the article points out, it's not actually faster, cheaper, or efficient than competing technologies. Those seem like really fatal flaws.
> Countries without common law legal systems get around these unnecessary costs much easier.
That same logic also applies to the competing technologies. The same magic wand that lets you build a hyperloop for 1/10th what it would cost in the US also lets you build the tracks for HSR for 1/10th what it would cost in the US. You can't compare the cost of building a hyperloop in China to the cost of building HSR in California and get a meaningful answer.
Nobody is saying that the hyperloop is impossible; they're saying that it's a plan to build something objectively worse than high speed rail at prices that seem broadly comparable.
Except, as the article points out, it's not actually faster, cheaper, or efficient than competing technologies. Those seem like really fatal flaws.
> Countries without common law legal systems get around these unnecessary costs much easier.
That same logic also applies to the competing technologies. The same magic wand that lets you build a hyperloop for 1/10th what it would cost in the US also lets you build the tracks for HSR for 1/10th what it would cost in the US. You can't compare the cost of building a hyperloop in China to the cost of building HSR in California and get a meaningful answer.
Nobody is saying that the hyperloop is impossible; they're saying that it's a plan to build something objectively worse than high speed rail at prices that seem broadly comparable.