Elon Musk shows off Boring Company's Las Vegas loop station in rendering
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority hopes to have the tunnels open in early 2021, so driverless Teslas can whisk CES attendees around the convention.
It looks on-brand for something with Musk's name attached to it.
Elon Musk's wild dream to tunnel under ground-level congestion is nearing reality with the Boring Company. For the first time, we're able to see what a complete and functioning station will look like.
Musk shared a rendering of the Las Vegas Boring Company station on Twitter Wednesday, saying only, "Coming soon." Despite the unconventional form of travel, the station looks pretty conventional. Since this is a rendering, things could change when construction crews pack up and finish the job, but it seems like a realistic expectation.
From the point of view of descending down an escalator, we see a handful of Tesla Model 3 EVs parked -- it's one of the planned vehicles to shuttle people driverlessly from one end of the Las Vegas Convention Center to the other. A large screen ahead tells riders when vehicles depart and it looks like each Model 3 has a number assigned to it, possibly to designate which side of the convention hall it's headed to. The tunnel directions should make that pretty simple to understand.
While not exactly "self-driving," the driverless Model 3s use "tracking wheels," which are like rollers that deploy from under the car to keep it in the specific tunnel's lane. Acceleration and braking are controlled by the onboard software, with the cars touted to reach 150 mph.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority confirmed in May that both tunnels are finished for the Vegas loop, which covers 200 acres. Walking from one side of the center to the other takes about 15 minutes, but a ride in the Boring Company loop should cut that down to about two minutes. It will be free for convention attendees.
What isn't clear is where a 12-seat van fits into the project. Reports and past renderings showed off a larger vehicle to transport passengers, but when asked about the vehicle on Twitter, Musk's comments hinted that either the vehicle will look drastically different than past renderings, or it may not happen at all. The Boring Company didn't immediately return a request for comment.
No, best to have people seated for safety & speed of travel
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 22, 2020
The plan is to have everything complete for CES 2021, but large conferences seem totally impossible in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. LVCVA CEO Steve Hill previously said if CES is delayed past January 2021, the center will wait to open the new loop. The authority didn't immediately return a request for comment when asked about any updates to the opening plans amid the pandemic.
Down the line, the Boring Company's work could expand across Las Vegas. Musk said in the past it's "likely" the company will create new tunnels to connect additional downtown locations and McCarran International airport.
