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Elon Musk’s new boring company aims to build 30 levels of tunnels for cars and Hyperloop

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Photo: Bloomberg

Elon Musk confirmed that he really is starting to a new tunneling company and as with many of his other side projects, it’s starting right there at SpaceX. He shed new light on the project yesterday in an interview with Bloomberg, announcing that the venture will be an independent venture aimed at building vast underground transportation networks for cars and high speed trains such as the Hyperloop.

What’s in a Name?

Musk’s sense of humor is evident in the list of potential names for the company, Elon even going so far as to consider trolling Toys “R” Us in suing: “My other idea was to call it Tunnels R Us and to essentially troll Toys “R” Us into filing a lawsuit,” the slightly deranged CEO cackled. In my mind, he’s channeling Mr. Burns from the Simpsons. “Now we’ve decided to troll AT&T instead! We’re going to call it American Tubes and Tunnels.”

Ultimately, he settled on The Boring Company which in and of itself is loaded with wordplay. Even the acronym is funny, rocking a big TBC, or To Be Continued, which is comical on more than a few levels with Musk always dreaming up, starting and delivering on yet another completely disruptive idea in a disparate industry.

To kick off this rather mundane company, Elon and SpaceX have a leader in charge but no full time staff though it has secured a domain over at BoringCompany.com.

New Details on The Dig

Elon shed some light on the team’s intentions with the original dig, stating that the only reason it started there is because they already own the land and wouldn’t need any additional permits to get started. In parallel to the on-site construction, a team is working to secure the necessary permits to extend the initial tear in the earth beyond the property lines of SpaceX.

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The initial hole will evolve into a sort of ramp that will ultimately serve as the point of entry for a full sized boring machine to get down around 50 feet down which is necessary to avoid gas, sewer and other infrastructure that sits closer to the surface.

But where is it going? Musk and team have not shared any details on the actual destination of the tunnel. With Musk’s ideas and pension for getting things started, there’s likely a team of undergrad interns locked away in the basement of SpaceX mapping out the nuts and bolts of the tunneling solution including where this initial stretch will actually go.

To Infinity and Beyond

To get the project started and to really dig into the possibilities of tunnels, a used boring machine, dubbed Nessie, was purchased for pennies on the dollar, not so much to dig the hole, but to get the team grounded in the technology.

From there, Elon has full confidence that the speed of boring can be improved 5-10x which is based more on a first principles analysis of the technology than actual experience tunneling not that a lack of industry experience has ever stopped Elon in the past, having already transformed the online banking industry with Paypal, the entire automotive industry with Tesla and rocketry with SpaceX.

Disruption

Ever the mad scientist, Elon seems to thrive on change, seeing the possibility through the stagnation, or maybe because of it.

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Looking more broadly at urban transportation, even Tesla + Hyperloop will have a tough time solving the problem if we are bound to the surface. Peeling back the crust reveals almost endless volumes of space to play with and Elon hopes to do just that, even talking of certain areas having 30 layers of tunnels which to the unimaginative minds of the masses is incomprehensible.

Whether or not Musk’s latest machination will make it off the property of SpaceX is yet to be seen but one thing is for certain – the fuse that is Elon Musk has been lit and he is going to make an honest effort at leveling up the way we get around town by taking us all underground.

Source: Bloomberg

 

I'm passionate about clean technology, sustainability and life. I've worked in manufacturing, IT, project management and environmental...and enjoy unpacking complex topics in layman's terms. TSLA investor. Find more of my words on my website or follow me on Twitter for all the latest. Tesla Referral link: http://ts.la/kyle623

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Tesla’s Elon Musk reiterates ambitious Cybertruck water update

Musk has been pretty open about the idea of the Cybertruck being used as a makeshift boat for some time now.

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Credit: TechRax/YouTube

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently provided a quick update about the Cybertruck’s “Boat Mode,” a feature that he has long teased on social media. 

Musk has been pretty open about the idea of the Cybertruck being used as a makeshift boat for some time now.

Cybertruck “Boat Mode”

Back in October 2022, Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared some ideas about how the Cybertruck could function as a boat of sorts. At the time, the vehicle was not yet released, and speculations suggested that the all-electric pickup truck would really have a “Boat Mode” feature.

Musk noted then that for the Cybertruck to actually be capable for crossing a body of water, it would need an electric propeller mounted on the tow hitch. The CEO also noted that the Cybertruck may need a creative wheel hub that can generate “meaningful thrust.”

While Musk’s ideas for the Cybertruck’s “Boat Mode” were exciting, the vehicle did not include the highly-ambitious feature when it started consumer deliveries in late 2023.

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The Cybertruck’s Water Performance

This was not to say that the Cybertruck did not have a dedicated feature for crossing bodies of water. Dubbed “Wade Mode,” the feature allows the Cybertruck to drive through big puddles, rivers, or creeks. The maximum wade depth for Wade Mode is only 32 inches, though owners of the all-electric pickup truck have been known to drive the vehicle through bodies of water that are significantly above 32 inches.

One such video emerged recently, showcasing a Cybertruck driving on one side of Lake Grapevine in Texas without any difficulties. The video shocked users in social media, though CEO Elon Musk noted on X that “With a little work, it should be able to cross some open water.”

Musk’s comments suggest that Tesla may not be done with the Cybertruck’s “Boat Mode” idea just yet. The CEO, after all, did note in the past that the vehicle should be able to cross the channel from Starbase to San Padre Island, which is about 477 meters (1,565 feet) across. Based on Musk’s comments, perhaps a Cybertruck will really be able to function as a boat in the future.

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Starlink aircraft by United Airlines receives FAA approval

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Credit: United Airlines

On Monday, United Airlines received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its first Starlink-equipped planes.

The first commercial flight with Starlink Wi-Fi is set for May 2025. The FAA cleared the Embraer 175, issuing a Supplemental Type Certificate. The airline’s first commercial flight with a Starlink-equipped aircraft is scheduled for May 2025, using the United Express Embraer.

The Chicago-based airline plans to equip 40 regional jets with Starlink monthly. All 300 Embraer 175s are expected to have Starlink by the end of the year. United is working with Elon Musk’s company to get FAA approval to install Starlink on over 16 aircraft models, reported Reuters.

United Airlines aims to roll out Starlink Wi-Fi across all its flights. Starlink will be free for MileagePlus members.

“We have a lot planned for our MileagePlus members this year, and adding Starlink to as many planes as we can – as quickly as we can – is at the center of it all. It’s not only going to revolutionize the experience of flying United, but it’s also going to unlock tons of new partnerships and benefits for our members that otherwise wouldn’t be possible,” noted CEO of United Mileage Plus, Richard Nunn.

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United signed a deal with Starlink last year. As per United’s agreement, Starlink will be available in over 1,000 planes in the coming years.

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New Tesla Model Y was a best-seller in China in March 2025

It appears that the new Tesla Model Y ended March as one of China’s best-selling vehicles.

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Credit: Tesla China

The new Tesla Model Y’s domestic deliveries in China only started ramping in March, but it was enough to make a significant impact in the country’s vehicle market.

Based on results from the previous weeks, it appears that the new Model Y ended March as one of China’s best-selling vehicles.

The Results

Rankings from China for March 2025 suggest that Tesla China was able to sell 43,370 new Model Y units during the month. This effectively made the revamped all-electric crossover the country’s best-selling battery electric vehicle by volume. 

On the heels of the new Model Y was the significantly cheaper and smaller Hongguang Mini EV, which sold 34,720 units during the month. The reengineered Tesla Model 3, another premium vehicle, also performed well in March. As per China’s rankings, the all-electric sedan sold 23,230 units during the month, making it the country’s 7th best-selling battery electric vehicle.

The New Model Y’s Ramp

The new Model Y started domestic deliveries in China in late February, and sales have seen some momentum since then. As per estimates from industry watchers, Tesla China saw 6,700 insurance registrations for the new Model Y in the week ending March 2. 

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Insurance registrations rose to 8,700 new Model Y units in the week ending March 9; 9,450 units in the week ending March 16; 10,628 units in the week ending March 23; and 14,600 units in the week ending March 30, 2025. This suggests that the new Model Y is seeing quite a lot of interest among consumers in China.

Elon Musk’s Prediction

During Tesla’s Q1 2025 All-Hands meeting, CEO Elon Musk highlighted that the Model Y became the world’s best-selling car in 2023 and 2024. Even if Tesla ended up throttling its deliveries in the first quarter due to the transition of the new Model Y in Giga Texas, the Fremont Factory, Giga Shanghai, and Giga Berlin, Musk remained optimistic about the revamped all-electric crossover’s chances this 2025.

“We actually literally make the best-selling car on Earth of any kind. That’s two years in a row. And it’s going to be the best-selling car on Earth again this year,” Musk stated during the meeting.

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