Researchers at China's National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) recently successfully accelerated a one-ton vehicle from standstill to a speed of 700 kilometers (435 miles) on an approximately 400-meter-long maglev test track. The entire process took less than 2 seconds, and then quickly decelerated to zero speed. This feat set a world record for the fastest acceleration of superconducting maglev technology.
In the video, the vehicle flashed past like lightning, and the sound was like a fighter jet passing by at low altitude. Although the standing start from 0 to 700 kilometers is amazing, it is not designed for passenger experience. The approximately 10g gravity acceleration generated during acceleration is beyond the tolerance limit of top fighter pilots and is enough to make people faint instantly, while the braking phase of approximately 5g is relatively mild and may be more suitable as an extreme ride.
The system uses "high-temperature superconducting magnets". Electric superconducting coils on the vehicle generate magnetic fields that interact with the track to achieve levitation. Although it is called "high temperature", it actually requires liquid nitrogen cooling to about minus 196 degrees Celsius, which is easier to operate than traditional liquid helium cooling (minus 269 degrees Celsius). The research team's goal is to make further breakthroughs and reach a speed of 1,000 kilometers per hour, exceeding the conventional cruising speed of civil aviation aircraft (885-933 kilometers per hour).
In addition to passenger trains, this technology may have wider applications, such as assisting rocket launches to reduce costs, a vertical propulsion concept similar to SpinLaunch, or simulating high-speed flight testing special equipment. The U.S. Navy has used electromagnetic catapult systems (EMALS) to launch fighter jets from aircraft carriers for many years, and China recently demonstrated EMALS for the first time on its new aircraft carrier, the Fujian Ship.
In contrast, the United States has developed electromagnetic railguns that can accelerate projectiles to Mach 7 and have a range of 160 kilometers, but most of them have been abandoned due to rapid component wear and huge power requirements. This demonstration in China marks the evolution of electromagnetic acceleration technology, which can shorten the 14-hour drive from Shanghai to Beijing to a theoretical two hours. Although Japan's SCMaglev maglev train was developed in 1962 and set a record of 603 kilometers per hour in 2015, it has not yet been fully commercialized due to regulatory obstacles such as local veto, environmental disputes, and high costs. Currently, the only high-speed maglev train in operation in the world is the Shanghai Maglev in China. The 30-kilometer line reaches a maximum speed of 431 kilometers per hour and can complete the original 40-45-minute journey in 7-8 minutes.
Compared with China’s promotion style of “proposing first and then deliberation”, the cautious attitude of Japan and the United States highlights the cost of backward technology. Once China’s high-speed rail maglev is fully implemented, it will completely reshape the intercontinental passenger transportation pattern.