Hardt Hyperloop, a Dutch tech company, has set a new European speed record after its hyperloop transport system hit 85 kilometres per hour and pulled off a successful lane-switch during recent trials. Hyperloop is an alternative transport system composed of passenger or cargo capsules travelling at very high speed inside low-pressure tubes, using magnets or air-based systems to minimise friction.
The company carried out the record-setting run at the European Hyperloop Center (EHC) in Veendam, the Netherlands, where it also demonstrated its innovative lane-switching capability.
According to Hardt, its vehicles reached 85 kilometres per hour, showing that the technology can be scaled in the future. “We are ready to go for higher speeds – up to 700 kilometres per hour – as soon as the infrastructure permits,” said co-founder Tim Houter.
The company believes that the success of the test is an important step towards the development of hyperloop technology, not only in Europe, but around the world. “This milestone proves the capability and growing maturity of our hyperloop traction technologies,” explained Roel van de Pas, managing director at Hardt Hyperloop.
The newly designed vehicle accelerated at 0.3 G-forces (roughly three-tenths the force of Earth’s gravity) in the first 140 metres, passing through a 155-metre lane switch. Then the vehicle safely stopped in the last 100 metres. This test run exceeded the vehicle’s target speed of 80 kilometres per hour.
“Demonstrating lane-switching at these speeds – in this environment – is a major leap from theoretical designs to real-world systems, and a great accelerator for scalable hyperloop implementation worldwide,” noted van de Pas.
However, the hyperloop concept has faced persistent challenges, particularly around networkability, safety, and robustness. Traditional designs struggled with scalable lane-switching, reliable system integration, and maintaining safety at high speeds. Hardt’s recent achievements directly tackled these issues.
To achieve the record-breaking results, Hardt performed over 750 test missions and achieved multiple technological improvements, such as reducing the hyperloop bogie weight by 45 per cent, increasing thrust by 50 percent, and including multiple safety features such as a safe magnetic levitation system to reinforce safety and reliability.
“Hardt’s achievement at the European Hyperloop Center is a testament to European innovation and leadership in sustainable transport. We’re proud to be paving the way for a new era of mobility,” said Kees Mark, managing director of the European Hyperloop Center.
Hardt’s future is clear – the organisation aims to develop a 3 to 5 kilometre demonstration stretch followed by a 30 to 50 kilometre operational route. Besides this, interest in hyperloop is growing with governments and companies exploring potential opportunities. For example, Italy has approved a demo route between Venice and Padua through the EU tender process, while Germany’s federal coalition agreement outlines plans for a hyperloop demonstration track.
