Current designs for maglev trains rely on electromagnets, since nobody has been able to make a permanent magnet strong enough to lift the weight of a train.
And ride the Maglev, the ultra high-speed magnetic levitation train.
There were indeed plans to build a maglev train between Shanghai and Hangzhou, but those plans were scrapped following analysis that indicated it would be a waste of money.
The Siemens AG (SI) built Shanghai magnetic levitation train can reach top speeds of 267 miles per hour, according to passengers who have traveled on the Shanghai Maglev.
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Sure enough, a maglev project that would shuttle folks from Disneyland to Las Vegas at up to 300 miles-per-hour is now jousting with a cheaper diesel-electric alternative (dubbed DesertXpress) for support.
ENGADGET: Maglev, diesel-electric trains vie for support in US desert
Maglev trains use magnets to provide a frictionless environment, so theoretically, it should be possible to get one of them to the roughly 20, 000 mph required to launch an object into orbit.
Maglev technology has been around for years as the propulsion method behind certain European and Asian trains, and basically involves using the Physics 101 properties of magnetic attraction and repulsion to provide an object with momentum.
"Based on our company's 45 years of experience with high-speed rail in Japan, bringing high-speed rail to the United States will translate into jobs, " said Mike Finnegan, an executive with US-Japan High Speed Rail and US-Japan Maglev.
Still, the trip from there to Vegas would only take three to four hours including the 1.5 hour drive to Victorville, but that still doesn't sound nearly as nice as "well under two hours" for the maglev.
ENGADGET: Maglev, diesel-electric trains vie for support in US desert
Such a system does have some obvious limitations when it comes to reaching areas not served by the Maglev, but the filmmakers thought of that too, and developed so-called off-grid cars exemplified by a red Lexus sports coupe in the movie.
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