Elon Musk's Hyperloop reportedly has the ability to travel faster than the speed of sound. As its testing schedule looms near, the project's CEO Dirk Ahlborn expressed the possibility of offering it for free to passengers.
Tesla motors' Hyperloop aims to transport passengers from San Francisco to Los Angeles in half an hour, according to CNBC. Ahlborn aims for it to become a daily transport utility that is possibly free, although its marketing consultants estimated that a seat would cost twice a plane ticket's price.
Ahlborn argued that there might be other ways to monetize the high-speed loop.
For one, the team designed it to work on 100 percent renewable energy. And, it will generate energy beyond what it actually needs.
"[We] will actually be able to sell the energy," Ahlborn said.
The CEO's ambitious goals could work if they are able to create a network of hyperloops in mega cities. Being able to offer it for free can change how people live, Ahlborn added.
Apart from selling the excess energy, the company is thinking of other ways to make money from it aside from ticketing. They welcome ideas and resources from anyone in the world, according to Wired.
This crowdsourcing approach or "crowdstorming" in their own words is being handled by Ahlborn's "JumpStartFund." Here, everyone is welcome to contribute ideas and funds in exchange for stock options in the company.
To date, the community has grown to more than 10,000 members including 350 companies across the world, NASA and SpaceX scientists, universities and other professionals.
Ahlborn said it is passion that brings these people together for this project.
Still, the Hyperloop project has a long way to go, especially if they want to offer rides for free. The team projected a 10-year timeline before it becomes commercially available.