Real-life 'Jetsons'? New Virgin Hyperloop video gives glimpse of the future

The future envisaged in 'The Jetsons' will soon become reality with the hyperloop shrinking distances with futuristic technology

Imagine hopping onto a bus and two stops later, you're in a new city -- feels like a fantasy? Not really.

The Jetsons will soon be a reality with the hyperloop shrinking distances with its futuristic technology. Cities that are far apart will now be just minutes away from each other.

Virgin Hyperloop, whose partners include Richard Branson's Virgin Group, is developing the technology for passenger pods that will hurtle at speeds up to 750 miles an hour (1,200 kph) through almost air-free vacuum tunnels using magnetic levitation.

The company has released a new video explaining and unveiling the features of its transportation system that allows passengers to travel in a near-vacuum tube in a pod at speeds up to 670 miles an hour.

How does this work?

The hyperloop consists of a tube with a near-vacuum environment and a design which cuts friction, aerodynamic drag and can go at high speeds up to 670 miles in an hour "safely, comfortably and quietly," the company claims.

The pods use magnetic levitation and propulsion and while during the testing phase, the pods reached 100 mph. The speed will increase with a newer design for the commercial pods that the company designs, the video said.

The pods are not connected to each other and travel in convoys, allowing them to travel in different directions. Pods can split from the convoy into a separate direction while the remaining can go on.

This is achieved by the absence of moving parts on the track and levitation on top of the pods.

But the biggest advantage? Low emissions says the company.

However, Marcelo Blumenfeld, industrial fellow for introducing innovation at the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, in England told CNN, "It's not feasible now, we don't have any idea yet when it will be feasible."

What is the timeline to have it up and running? and where?

This is not 10 or 20 years away. Cities can start incorporating this into their planning right now.

Virgin Hyperloop is looking to first develop passenger routes in India, where the transport system is overloaded, and in Saudi Arabia.

"I couldn't put my finger on who will be the very first, but in addition to America, we are also looking at places like India, Europe and the Middle East. We are probably looking at a timeframe of 2025-27," Josh Giegelm chief executive and co-founder of Virgin Hyperloop told Reuters last month.

(With agency inputs)