The Boring Company Reveals More Details About Las Vegas Tunnel Trips

On April 8, the Boring Company invited Las Vegas media to its underground tunnel to give them their first look at the Boring Co.’s $52.5 million people-mover system.

"Trips through the tunnels are an “only in Las Vegas” experience with LED lighting that cycles through a rainbow of colors from second to second lining the tunnel walls," writes Richard Velotta in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

He also reveals that inside the Boring Company's Vegas tunnel, cars have enough clearance in the tunnels that riders can open doors and get out in an emergency.

However, the speed inside the Boring Company's Vegas tunnel is not as high as we thought it would be as drivers hit maximum speeds of about 35 mph on the straightaways of the tunnels. The electric vehicles run silently on the underground paved surfaces. At the ends of the tunnel, the Model X and Model 3 Teslas climb a ramp to reach the surface.

The Vegas tunnel is the first commercial application of what Musk has dubbed “Loop,” defined by the Boring Company's website as a “high-speed underground public transportation system in which passengers are transported via compatible Autonomous Electric Vehicles (AEVs) at up to 155 miles per hour.” But apparently the maximum speed now is only 35 mph.

"Parallel tunnels nearly a mile long will shuttle conventioneer passengers to and from three stations when the system, developed by entrepreneur Elon Musk, becomes fully operational. A certificate of occupancy has been issued to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority," Velotta reports.

#BoringCompany
#LasVegasLoop

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[cschneider]

Not sure how this is more efficient than a moving sidewalk or subway train. Several cars each with a driver. If a car breaks down in the tunnel, the whole system is down.

[cbromley]

Very exciting. The Boring Co. seems to be racing to prominence.

[lockbert]

People walk around 3 miles per hour. A 1.5 mile walk should take 30 minutes, not 15.

[reinerw.]

Yeah, Vans would be great to increase capacity. Or make it even larger, like a small train. And get rid of batteries. And use rails to minimize resistance. Oh wait, thats a Subway

[israelramos]

A tunnel from the airport to downtown, the strip, and the stadium would make travelling to more convenient and probably save a few bucks.

[blackmoresarchangel]

There is a live video on YouTube showing the tunnel with cars and people

[simoc]

It is the app that interested me the most. Tesla is testing their robotaxi app with this

[bimmergeezer]

Hmmm, I wonder how much it would cost me to have the Boring Company build me a tunnel from my condo to my office?? Big time saver!

[jguterm]

Will there be 2 main tunnels and 1 service tunnel? What are the plans for emergency people evacuation exits to the surface. Will Tesla's be the only EV's to use the Loop? Are there serious plans for the 5 to 8 passenger tram versions of a Tesla car or truck?

[larrydugan]

What does it cost to save a 15 minute walk? The mono rail was an expensive bust.

[yousoufmoco]

Can’t the soil & rock from drilling be compressed into a ball with a plastic layer around before leaving the TBM behind. Like it’s laying eggs 😂 if the TBM is moving downward those balls cud be easily removed at the exit? If upward it’s easier.

[Zaprixa]

What if someone, (which there will) tries to grab the steering wheel while it's driving or by accident? Is it dissabled? Never been on a tesla.

[mmandrewa]

$52.5 million for 1.5 miles and three stations is just $35 million per mile. That's less than one tenth of what it costs to build a subway in the United States -- considerably less than in some cases. I'm not sure how long it took to build the whole thing, since I believe Covid-19 affected the opening time. But it looks like about a year. Again quite a contrast with a subway that I observed being built that took over five years for a similar distance.

[Luke_Starkenburg]

The safety drivers will not be steering or pressing the accelerator/brake. The cars will be fully autonomous, but the safety driver will be trained to be there just in case something happens.

[leolaw]

Where is the emergency exit in case of fire🤔

[mgdurandolo]

So... basically a rolling advertisement for Tesla cars. Great marketing. Good job Vegas

[teropiispala]

In Vegas tunnel, max speed is 85Mph according one design document which has been shown on public

[davidbeppler]

Where are all the people claiming 4 busses can do the same job for millions less money?

[StoneUSA]

Why is it so hard to understand, after TBC has been so clear that the LVCC Loop will not exceed 35 mph, that this very early project with short spans and near constant curves will not achieve the high speeds promised for the more expansive circuit?

You say that the slow speeds are just a test phase but that's a lie, and you know it's a lie. And I am the biggest fan of the project meaning that I want only the most accurate information.

The fact is that this LVCC Loop will never be the high speed transportation some envision. But it doesn't have to be. Each loop conforms to its nature. Short and slow, . Single tunnel and periodic. Long straight and fast.

[uronrdstreet]

Ok, so a 1.7 mile tunnel with some lights in it. Worth 52 million? not in my opinion.