Missouri Hyperloop Route Tops The List, According To CEO

Missouri is a front-runner for the new ultra high-speed Hyperloop transportation system, according to Jay Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One. Walder spoke about the route’s potential last month as part of the KC Tech Council’s CEO speaker series and touted Missouri’s progress.

“I’ve been the CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One for five months, and this is the first trip I’ve taken to a state where there has been a hyperloop proposed. I think that’s a vote of confidence,” he told the crowd at Kansas City’s WeWork.

The proposed Kansas City-to-St.-Louis route along Interstate 70 would transport passengers in less than 30 minutes, compared with about 3.5 hours by car. The Missouri Hyperloop Coalition is comprised of MoDOT, the St. Louis Regional Chamber, the KC Tech Council, the University of Missouri System and the Missouri Innovation Center in Columbia.

“If you look at the steps being taken in Missouri right now, they’ve put Missouri at the front of the pack of places,” Walder said.

Hyperloop One is a private company with the mission of transforming transportation through its ultra-fast Hyperloop system. The tube-based autonomous transportation system uses electric propulsion to accelerate pods that levitate slightly above the track, thanks to strategically placed magnets that create magnetic fields. Additionally, it can leverage renewable energy, such as wind, solar and kinetic energy, to operate. The system would offer on-demand service, departing stations as often as every 20 seconds.

For more information on why Missouri could be a prime location to launch or grow your business, contact Subash Alias, Interim CEO of Missouri Partnership, at 314.932.3973 or via our contact form. We’d be happy to answer any questions you might have, and show you how Missouri Partnership can help with your business expansion, collaboration and investment needs.

What Next?