Video from Elon Musk's Boring Company, a tunnel building company that recently was contracted to burrow under the Las Vegas Convention Center, shows the company has made some new developments in its test tunnel. As confirmed by Musk on Twitter, the tunnel now relies on Tesla's Autopilot driver assist system to propel passengers through, instead of using a carrier trolley.
To demonstrate the potential effectiveness of this tunnel and Autopilot system, the video pits someone driving a Tesla Model 3 on surface streets against a Model 3 going through the tunnel. Unsurprisingly, the tunnel car makes it to the destination first since there was no traffic and was permitted to go as fast as the company was comfortable with. As the video notes, and as seen on the car's information screen, it hits a top speed of 127 mph.
There are some clear positives and negatives about choosing to rely on Autopilot. For the Boring Company, not having to use a car carrier is surely much more affordable, since you don't have to build a propelled carrier and elevator system to carry it. It also leaves fewer components to break down. On the down side, the tunnel is no longer something that could be used by any car, and instead only cars that are developed to handle the tunnel. Also, we're a little nervous about running a car this fast through such a narrow tunnel. Even with low odds, the moment something goes wrong, you're looking at a potentially nasty crash, and in a real world situation with potentially other cars coming up behind you, they have to be able to act quickly enough to avoid a wrecked vehicle.
What about you, readers? Would you try out Musk's Boring Tesla tunnel?
Pretty much
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 24, 2019
To demonstrate the potential effectiveness of this tunnel and Autopilot system, the video pits someone driving a Tesla Model 3 on surface streets against a Model 3 going through the tunnel. Unsurprisingly, the tunnel car makes it to the destination first since there was no traffic and was permitted to go as fast as the company was comfortable with. As the video notes, and as seen on the car's information screen, it hits a top speed of 127 mph.
There are some clear positives and negatives about choosing to rely on Autopilot. For the Boring Company, not having to use a car carrier is surely much more affordable, since you don't have to build a propelled carrier and elevator system to carry it. It also leaves fewer components to break down. On the down side, the tunnel is no longer something that could be used by any car, and instead only cars that are developed to handle the tunnel. Also, we're a little nervous about running a car this fast through such a narrow tunnel. Even with low odds, the moment something goes wrong, you're looking at a potentially nasty crash, and in a real world situation with potentially other cars coming up behind you, they have to be able to act quickly enough to avoid a wrecked vehicle.
What about you, readers? Would you try out Musk's Boring Tesla tunnel?
Would you drive in a narrow underground tunnel at 127 mph if Elon Musk told you it was OK? Video: https://t.co/JeFz8CCecC
— Autoblog (@therealautoblog) May 24, 2019
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