Elon Musk, head of Tesla and SpaceX, unveiled a test version of his underground transportation tunnel on Tuesday.
During the ceremony, reporters and invited guests boarded Musk’s Tesla Model X to ride the 1.14-mile test tunnel, which is located near the headquarters of Musk’s SpaceX company in south Los Angeles. The test tunnel cost $10 million and partnered with the Boring Co.
When fully operational, the “loop” system will consist of passenger- and automobile-carrying platforms called “skates” that can zip through the tunnels by way of electric power once they descend into the underground network.
Musk’s company said it was moving ahead with a proposed tunnel across Los Angeles to connect Dodger Stadium, home of the city’s Major League Baseball team, to an existing subway line. Musk told reporters Dec. 18 he would like to build out the entire L.A. system by 2028, when the city will host the Olympics.
The idea was announced on Twitter by Musk two years ago, when he said “traffic is driving me nuts” and he was “going to build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging.”
