Elon Musk’s Hyperloop: Explained

By Joshua Smith October 19, 2015

For most of modern history, trains, planes, automobiles, and boats have been humanity’s four main modes of transportation. However, while these vehicles help get us from point A to point B, they’re also costly, harmful to the environment, and generally don’t move quite as fast we’d like. Just recently California moved forward on a $67 billion high-speed rail system in hopes of creating an innovative new way to move large groups of people in significantly less time. Though the project has moved forward, engineer, inventor and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has shared his disapproval alongside his own concept, the Hyperloop, which he claims will be faster and more efficient.

In this episode of Explained, Joshua Smith breaks down what exactly the Hyperloop is, what it means for the future of transportation, and more. Could Hyperloop end up changing the way we get around forever? Check out the video to find out!

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Cars

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Emerging Tech

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Cars

Rivian offers $3,000 off select EVs to gasoline, hybrid vehicle drivers

Second-Gen Rivian R1S on a road

Early November typically kicks off the run-up to the Black Friday sales season, and this year, Rivian is betting it’s the perfect time to lure gasoline drivers toward its EVs.
If you own or lease a vehicle that runs on gasoline, which means even a hybrid vehicle, Rivian is ready to give you $3,000 off the purchase of one of its select fully electric vehicles -- no trade-in required.
The offer from the Irvine, California-based automaker extends to customers in the U.S. and Canada and runs through November 30, 2024. The program applies to Rivian 2025 R1S or R1T Dual Large, Dual Max, or Tri Max models purchased from R1 Shop.
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This time, buyers of the R1S or R1T Rivian just need to provide proof of ownership or lease of a gas-powered or hybrid vehicle to receive the discount when they place their order.
Rivian is not going to be the only car maker offering discounts in November. Sluggish car sales from giants such as Stellantis and rising inventories of new cars due to improving supply chains suggest automakers and dealerships will be competing to offer big incentives through the year's end.
This follows several years of constrained supply following the COVID pandemic, which led to higher prices in North America.
According to CarEdge Insights, average selling prices for cars remain above what would be called affordable. But prices should continue improving along with rising inventories.
Stellantis brands are entering November with the most inventory, followed by GM and Ford, according to CarEdge. Toyota and Honda, meanwhile, have the least inventory, meaning they probably won’t be under pressure to offer big incentives.