TransPod is a Limoges and Toronto-based company developing a novel transportation system: the FluxJet Vehicle and TransPod Infrastructure. TransPod’s technology is the most practical, economically feasible, and operationally robust ultra-high-speed tube transportation due to cutting-edge technology and innovations which drastically reduce infrastructure costs.
TransPod’s support of France spans three axes.
Environmental Protection
Since 2017, TransPod has been designing a new mode of ultra-high-speed transport, which will improve the mobility of goods and people at a reduced environmental cost compared to existing transport options. This is because the TransPod system is fully electric-powered, which can be powered by clean energy sources such as solar or wind. Likewise, the structure can be built on elevated pillars, which protects biodiversity by minimizing the land footprint and allowing species to continue passing underneath the TransPod system. In contrast to a train or highway, generally built at ground level and, therefore, can completely separate animal populations.
In 2022, TransPod started the construction of a research center and test track in Droux, near Limoges (Haute-Vienne, France). The groundwork, achieved in 2022, will be followed by civil engineering works starting in 2023. TransPod demonstrated its environmental commitment during the groundworks phase by replanting trees to compensate for the clearing during this phase: while TransPod had to clear 1 hectare of land, the company planted local tree species across 5.38 hectares in Haute-Vienne to compensate for that clearing activity.
Job Creation
In July 2022 in Toronto, TransPod unveiled a working ⅓ scale technological demonstrator to the public, confirming the viability of its technology and validating the studies carried out in recent years. This demonstrator was a critical step in TransPod’s realization of the vision of ultra-high-speed mobility.TransPod’s work in Droux will continue this progress by developing a ½ scale prototype involving several new subsystems.
Thanks to the support of the European Union via the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, TransPod has increased its scientific research team. 4 specialized researchers were hired in 2022, with the financing of those salaries enabled by FEDER. TransPod will continue hiring in 2023 in the Haute-Vienne region to support the fundamental research and test track construction activities undertaken by TransPod.
The development of University Research
TransPod’s collaboration with the laboratories at the University of Limoges will also be intensified along two axes.
● The RUBIH and SYCOMOR teams of the XLIM laboratory are working on the future communication system of our project, intending to set up a reliable wireless communication system. This presents unique scientific challenges due to the hostile nature of the TransPod tube environment for the propagation channel for electromagnetic waves. The transmission channel inside the tube looks like a waveguide but with interference from the propulsion systems, which can distort the signal and, therefore, the message.
● The collaboration with IRCER will make it possible to determine the necessary coatings for some FluxJet subsystems. IRCER’s experience in advanced ceramic coatings is an asset in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
TransPod is grateful for the support of the European Union and FEDER, the permanent support of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, the involvement of the departmental services of Haute-Vienne, and the continued support from the town hall of Droux.