Absolutely. People familiar with the tech industry should recognize this pattern: Announce a vaporware [1] product as part of a FUD [2] campaign against the enemy.
When considered in this way, Musk's actions with Hyperloop make a lot of sense. This is a classic FUD move against CA HSR.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaporware
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear,_uncertainty_and_doubt
Even if Musk's Hyperloop proposal remains only a proposal, if nothing else it should give people serious pause about the existing plan, and hopefully force a revision of it. The route through Palmdale is utterly pointless, tacks on a dozen minutes to a trip that's already too long, and exists largely to satisfy NIMBYs and give fat checks to a bunch of property speculators. That particular element of the HSR plan reeks of cowardice, corruption and graft. Consider this as an alternative:
http://www.cahsrblog.com/2013/06/the-truth-about-tejon/
Musk's opposition to the existing plan is well reasoned and rational. Calling it FUD is itself a sort of FUD.
No one is saying they were. The parent and grandparent are saying the Hyperloop announcement is FUD.
> if nothing else it should give people serious pause about the existing plan, and hopefully force a revision of it.
So, at the very least, the uncertainty and doubt parts of FUD?
Edit: s/fear/doubt
A somewhat cynical but I think on-the-money assessment of the Hyperloop is that it isn't at all a real proposal, but rather a sleight of hand to reduce buy-in to the CA HSR plan, which Musk opposes. That being the case, investing money in further studies seems like a dumb plan. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and there are extraordinary claims in Musk's proposal with no evidence backing them up, so the onus is probably on him.