The Boring Company, owned by Elon Musk, presented their revolutionary new development. A tunnel, which accommodates autonomous electric vehicles, and Tesla cars on tracking wheels, serving as public transport.
When it comes to innovation in the automotive world, Elon Musk is by far the visionary that leads the way. His ideas and developments always combine multiple aspect, from comfort to extraordinary designs, but always with the environment in mind.
With this in mind, it is no surprise that the latest development by his crew ticks all the boxes. It is definitely out-of-the-box, innovative, slightly crazy but somehow still plausible, and if realized, it reduces pollution from city traffic.
Here it is- the underground tunnels, which will facilitate the free movement of fully electric autonomous vehicles. Such infrastructure can allow super high speed driving reducing greatly the time of travel. The concept also includes Tesla cars on tracking wheels, which can serve as underground public transport. The Boring Company showed the first test tunnel under Los Angeles yesterday.
This is quite a shift from the original idea, which featured electric skates. Vehicles would park on them and be carried along to the desired end point. In addition, electric pods were going to serve as public transport. Musk, got rid of both ideas. Instead, he vouched for tracking wheels, which attach to the autonomous vehicles. These guide the cars within the tunnels, preventing them from hitting the walls.
The price of these wheels is really not that high, especially considering how much a Tesla costs. According to Musk, you can get the wheels attached to your Tesla for under $300.
The tunnels are currently suitable only for Tesla vehicles mainly because of restrictions. These include the ability to drive and maintain a constant speed of 150 mph, and to have at least the basic autonomous functions of breaking and accelerating.
The technology within the tunnels is also continuously improving. The maximum speed is increasing, and the tracking wheels are becoming more practical. In addition, a smart system takes care of all dirt produced during construction. Musk and team came up with another invention, which simply converts dirt into building bricks.
The tunnels can be viewed as super-highways, while the Tesla’s operating as public transport, would provide citizens with the most comfortable underground ride to work. It also seems that money is not an issue. Musk clarified that it will all be OK. Apparently there are so many investors willing to jump on board, that there is no way for this to run into a financial crisis.
Very exciting development coming from the Boring Company. It will be interesting to follow up and see how far it will go. Ultimately, it is a new generation of underground systems, which is potentially cleaner, faster, more comfortable.
Image (c) The Boring Company
