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This article was published on May 18, 2018

Elon Musk promises $1 tunnel rides at 240 kmph in LA


Elon Musk promises $1 tunnel rides at 240 kmph in LA Image by: The Boring Company

Elon Musk’s pipe dreams sure are fun to follow: the CEO of the Boring Company told an audience at the Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles on Thursday that his firm plans to ferry people from the city’s downtown area to the airport in eight minutes, for $1 per person.

Musk was in Los Angeles to present his company’s new underground electric transportation system, which is called ‘Loop.’

The idea is to tunnel across 2.7 miles from north to south, parallel to the Interstate 405 freeway; it’ll allow for running transit pods that can seat 16 passengers and move at 240 kmph (150 mph). However, Musk didn’t specify how soon this would be operational.

The bold claim follows a partnership between LA Metro and The Boring Company to build a tunnel network in the city. Musk noted, “If you can build a tunnel in LA, you can build it anywhere.” That speaks to the company’s larger plans of bringing its underground solution to traffic woes to other major cities across the US.

The Boring Company is set to begin shipping the 20,000 flamethrowers it sold earlier this year, with a view to raise $7.5 million to fund its operations. There are also plans to sell “really good bricks” for construction, made from tunneling waste rocks. It’ll be interesting to see if Musk & Co. can deliver on these promises – and his bolder one about shuttling people across LA at warp speed, in the future.

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