Swiss-American company co-founded by Romanian breaks hyperloop speed record during landmark test in the US

Swisspod, a Swiss-American company founded in 2019 by Romanian Denis Tudor and Cyril Dénéréaz, announced that it set a new speed record in hyperloop transportation during a live demonstration in Pueblo, Colorado, last week. Its full-scale test system reached 65 mph (102 kph), the highest speed achieved to date by any active hyperloop developer worldwide.

The test, conducted on what is now the world’s largest hyperloop track, was witnessed by more than 150 attendees, including US Senator Michael Bennet, Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham, and Federal Railroad Administration Deputy Administrator Drew Feeley.

The event marked Swisspod’s second US Hyperloop Day and included the unveiling of the Aerys 1, the company’s first hyperloop capsule model.

The Colorado test site, located at Pueblo Plex, currently spans 1,700 feet (520 meters) and is planned to expand into a one-mile closed-loop system covering 43 acres, an area comparable to 25 football fields or 12,200 parked cars, the company said.

Further on, Swisspod is planning continued speed increases, expanded subsystem tests, and longer-distance track development as part of its roadmap.

“We are demonstrating real hyperloop technology, operating at the largest test track in the world. We had a great test, and in the coming weeks, we’ll increase power, push the system harder, and advance at a pace this industry has never seen. It’s how real transportation systems are developed,” said Swisspod CEO, Denis Tudor.

“Our system is fundamentally different from everything else in the market. The infrastructure is passive, while all the core technology is inside the capsule. At the heart of it is our patented propulsion system, engineered to deliver high efficiency at very high speeds, unmatched in the market,” he added.

This recent milestone follows the successful closing of Swisspod’s USD 13 million seed round, accelerating its expansion in the United States and driving forward continued testing and infrastructure completion toward the commercialization of its hyperloop technology.

The company has also achieved notable results internationally, including a world record last year for the longest hyperloop mission: an 11.8-kilometer trial on its Swiss research facility, the first operational infinite hyperloop test track. Scaled to full size, that mission equates to 141.6 kilometers with an equivalent top speed of 488.2 kph.

Hyperloop is a new, high-speed, fully-electric mode of transportation in which autonomous capsules travel inside low-pressure tubes, levitating and moving at near-sonic speeds with zero direct CO2 emissions. Designed for both passengers and freight, the technology aims to offer a fast, sustainable alternative to existing transport modes.