While Elon Musk planned to inaugurate his tunnels at the upcoming CES 2021 show in Las Vegas, the project faces several challenges. In particular, the system will not be able to carry as many passengers as expected. This is a shortfall that could potentially call into question the economic balance of the project.
Las Vegas: The Boring Company’s Loop project is on the edge!
In March 2019, Elon Musk’s The Boring Company agreed with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). The goal? Transport approximately 4,500 people per hour from one end of the Convention Center to the other hosting the famous Consumer Electronics Show (CES). This involves reducing a journey time from 15 minutes on foot to one minute by shuttle.
In February 2020, The Boring Company announced the completion of the first tunnel with a length of 1.5 km. In May 2020, Elon Musk mentioned the completion of a second tunnel for an inauguration of the network at the next CES 2021 (in January). At the time of this announcement, the person had nevertheless explained that there were still certain touches to be made. One example is the construction of passenger reception platforms at each end of the tunnels.
Delay and problems
According to an article published by Techcrunch on October 16, 2020, this Loop project in Las Vegas is in difficulty. With the progress of the work, The Boring Company had already had to revise down the number of possible transportable passengers to 1,200 per hour. However, the fire regulations are a source of a further reduction in this quantity. In fact, the company is now preparing to count on transporting “only” 800 people per hour. This compelling news greatly concerns Elon Musk and The Boring Company. Indeed, there could be a question of a 13 million dollar hole in the budget. The company is also exposed to penalties because the latter had undertaken to carry a minimum number of passengers.
It should be noted that the work on the second tunnel is also lagging. Delivery was due on October 1 to prepare for CES. However, the event will take place online due to the current Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, the tunnel should be the subject of inauguration during November 2020.
Finally, remember that The Boring Company promises to circulate Tesla vehicles without a driver in its tunnels. Speeding at 240 km / h, these vehicles will transport their passengers from the Las Vegas Strip to the Convention Center. The goal is to unblock the streets and access events faster. After finalizing its first tunnel, the company also mentioned a future larger network connecting to the city and the airport in Las Vegas.
