Actually, I still think you are right. You know how in pictionary when someone gives an absurd suggestion that is actually not so absurd because you end up mentally responding with 'I guess if you look at it like blah blah..'? I think that's what is going on here.
Musk is thinking, I guess if you put a train in an evacuated tube such that friction was not an issue, and moved it electromagnetically using above ground solar, you could reach supersonic speeds and a lot of the same scientific principles would be shared or be in use. That would fit the idea of a railgun+air hockey+concorde. You could share a lot of the same type of engineers on both projects even though the devices are not related in actuality. He is playing fast and loose interpretation wise and switching between talking about the interface Hyperloop and the particular instantiation he has in mind. It's the only way I can think of where he can claim it's not a vacutrain at the same time as say it could work underground.
But the launch loop fits so much better, in particular because of the massive kinetic energies involved (no batteries for store) and how very well it works with space travel. Even if this particular incarnation doesn't help, it would be invaluable in terms of experience and proof of concept.
Musk is thinking, I guess if you put a train in an evacuated tube such that friction was not an issue, and moved it electromagnetically using above ground solar, you could reach supersonic speeds and a lot of the same scientific principles would be shared or be in use. That would fit the idea of a railgun+air hockey+concorde. You could share a lot of the same type of engineers on both projects even though the devices are not related in actuality. He is playing fast and loose interpretation wise and switching between talking about the interface Hyperloop and the particular instantiation he has in mind. It's the only way I can think of where he can claim it's not a vacutrain at the same time as say it could work underground.
But the launch loop fits so much better, in particular because of the massive kinetic energies involved (no batteries for store) and how very well it works with space travel. Even if this particular incarnation doesn't help, it would be invaluable in terms of experience and proof of concept.