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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #150 on: October 29, 2017, 02:06:49 AM »
OK, per this article, the original test tunnel was only 160 feet long, so, never mind.  ;)

https://electrek.co/2017/10/28/elon-musk-first-image-tunnel-under-los-angeles-airport-101/

But:
Quote
When the current 2-mile long tunnel is completed, it would only need a few more miles west to reach the 405 and the international airport (LAX), but we are talking about almost a dozen miles to reach the 101 highway.
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crandles

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #151 on: October 29, 2017, 12:33:34 PM »
160ft in 1 month then further 340 ft in 2 months. Yep, that show acceleration.  ;)

Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #152 on: October 29, 2017, 01:53:36 PM »
160ft in 1 month then further 340 ft in 2 months. Yep, that show acceleration.  ;)

I would certainly hope they took more care as they begin their first tunnel down a city street -- with all the risks that entails -- compared with digging a tunnel limited to SpaceX property! :P
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #153 on: October 29, 2017, 04:12:33 PM »
Elon Musk’s Boring Co. takes aim at fighting LA traffic
Quote
It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Musk would choose this section as the company’s first project. After all, his dealing with constant soul-crushing traffic along a path of travel that’s a consistent winner of “America’s worst freeways” was the genesis for The Boring Company.

“First route will go roughly parallel to the 405 from LAX to 101, with on/offramps every mile or so. It will work like a fast freeway, where electric skates carrying vehicles and people on pods on the main artery travel at up to 150mph, and the skates switch to side tunnels to exit and enter.” says Musk.

Vehicles entering and exiting the tunnels would be helped by a car elevator, something Musk first demonstrated in July after posting a video of a Tesla Model S being lowered into the tunnel entrance. The use of side tunnels for exit and entry will allow the main tunnel to keep a consistent, high speed flow of traffic and make travel more efficient. It’s a key differentiator from traditional subway systems that often experience frequent stop-and-go travel. “There is a big difference compared to subways that stop at every stop, whether you’re getting off or not.” said Musk after sharing an image of the test tunnel. ...
https://www.teslarati.com/boring-companys-first-route-takes-aim-traffic-las-worst-freeway/

Edit:
The Boring Company wins city council approval for 2-mile test tunnel beneath Hawthorne, CA
Quote
The Boring Company will repurpose a tunnel-boring machine that was once used for digging sewage lines in San Francisco, according to SpaceX’s Brett Horton, senior director of facilities and construction, who also oversees The Boring Company project. Horton notes that construction of the 2-mile long test track will be undetectable because of the tunnel depth, which is expected to reach 44-feet below ground and well beneath underground utilities.
...
“The test tunnel project would involve SpaceX engineers repeatedly testing personal vehicle types suitable for placement on the skates; refinement of the design and technology; and general data collection on performance, durability, and application,” said the Boring Company in its documents submitted to the city council. ...
https://www.teslarati.com/the-boring-company-city-council-approved-2-mile-test-track/

  "@elonmusk Can Texas haz hyper loop too? Dallas - Houston - San Antonio - Austin (a girl can dream...)"
Musk: For sure. First set of tunnels are to alleviate greater LA urban congestion. Will start NY-DC in parallel. Then prob LA-SF and a TX loop.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/888059982586839041
« Last Edit: October 29, 2017, 04:27:52 PM by Sigmetnow »
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #154 on: November 23, 2017, 12:00:34 AM »
Nov. 22:   Elon Musk takes 1st steps to build futuristic underground tunnel in LA
Quote
Last week, The Boring Company, the firm Musk created to build the tunnel, filed an application with city officials to start digging within city limits, the Los Angeles Times reported.
...
The initial proposed route would stretch along Interstate 405 from Hawthorne to Westwood, and the project will be funded entirely by private money, a spokesperson for The Boring Co. said Tuesday, according to the Times. Last month, Musk expressed hopes that the tunnel would stretch the "whole 405" corridor from LAX to Interstate 101 in "a year or so." ...
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/elon-musk-files-permit-begin-digging-underground-tunnel/story?id=51325990


And where will all the “private money” come from?  Well, Musk's “Initial Hat Offering” has earned him $300,000 so far.  ;D

Elon Musk raises $300k for The Boring Co. in “Initial Hat Offering” (IHO)
Quote
Roughly a month after it was revealed that The Boring Company was beginning to sell hats, serial tech entrepreneur Elon Musk confirmed that his tunnel digging venture has sold $300,000 worth of the merchandise. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO thanked all buyers of the company’s “super boring hat” over Twitter saying, “You rock, figuratively & literally. All cash goes directly towards more boring.”

He is of course thankful for the outcome of his tongue-in-cheek “Initial Hat Offering”, or IHO, because, after all, the company has been in the midst of building an underground tunnel beneath Los Angeles. “Gonna build that tunnel one hat at a time” said Musk last month. ...
https://www.teslarati.com/elon-musk-raises-300k-boring-co-initial-hat-offering-iho/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #155 on: November 30, 2017, 03:49:34 AM »
The Boring Company will compete to fund, build & operate a high-speed Loop connecting Chicago O’Hare Airport to downtown
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/936060082290167808


More in the Hyperloop thread: 
https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,1094.msg135109.html#msg135109
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #156 on: December 04, 2017, 10:20:55 PM »
Elon Musk’s Boring Company unveils concept map of planned Los Angeles tunnel network
Quote
Elon Musk’s Boring Company, a startup aiming to create networks of tunnels with electric skate transit systems, recently sought to expand its tunnels under Los Angeles.  They have now released a map of the planned network – giving us a better idea of the scale of the project.

They reportedly already completed a 305-feet (100 meters) tunnel with an entrance in SpaceX’s parking lot in Hawthorne and they have received the green light to extend the tunnel by 2 miles in Hawthorne toward the Los Angeles International Airport.

In October, Musk said that the new section of the tunnel would be completed in “3 to 4 months”.
We reported last month that the Boring Company filed for new excavation permits for a new route, which the company is now referring to as “a 6.5-mile proof-of-concept tunnel”.

The [company] wrote on its website:
“The tunnel would be used for construction logistics verification, system testing, safety testing, operating procedure verification, and line-switching demonstrations. Phase 1 would not be utilized for public transportation until the proof-of-concept tunnel is deemed successful by County government, City government, and The Boring Company. “

The tunnel is shown in red on the map:


They previously announced that they plan to use Tesla’s technology for their transportation system in the tunnels – a sort of electric skate platform to transport cars autonomously faster and more efficiently. By moving cars on tracks instead of driving between lanes, they can reduce the tunnel to a 13.5-foot diameter, which consequently reduces the cost of boring.  Those electric skates can travel between 125-150 miles per hour and carry between 8 and 16 passengers, according to the startup.  It has the potential to both accelerate the electrification of transport in the region and to reduce traffic at the surface.

For the blue lines, the company emphasized that it’s not the finalized alignment:
“Blue indicates potential Phase 2 expansion options, and is included as a concept, not as a finalized alignment. Phase 2 specifics would be developed in cooperation with Los Angeles County, the City of Los Angeles, city governments in the greater Los Angeles area, and the general public. The Boring Company looks forward to receiving feedback from residents of the greater Los Angeles area on station locations and system improvements for Phase 2 and beyond.”

The company is now seeking feedback on the project, which is just one of three different projects that we know about so far. The two others being the Baltimore-DC underground Hyperloop and the Chicago high-speed loop.
https://electrek.co/2017/12/04/elon-musk-boring-company-map-los-angeles-tunnel-network/
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Bob Wallace

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #157 on: December 04, 2017, 11:12:59 PM »
Why take cars to the airport?

Leave your car home.  Airports are already too crowded with cars.  Turn the sleds into very fast small subway cars.  Offer a luxury option if someone just can't stand riding with the rest of us.

I suppose if rich people pay the development costs so that Borning, Inc. can get their speeds up and costs down then the sleds are justified.  They can be swapped out for passenger pods once we're in the world of robotaxis.

Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #158 on: December 05, 2017, 03:16:37 AM »
Why take cars to the airport?

Leave your car home.  Airports are already too crowded with cars.  Turn the sleds into very fast small subway cars.  Offer a luxury option if someone just can't stand riding with the rest of us.

I suppose if rich people pay the development costs so that Borning, Inc. can get their speeds up and costs down then the sleds are justified.  They can be swapped out for passenger pods once we're in the world of robotaxis.

The “skate” proposal for this tunnel carries small people-pods as well as cars. 

Small pods can carry a small group directly to their destination — no need for intermediate stops for some passengers to get off.  You could make a reservation for a trip, to start from a particular Loop station, on your phone, and an app would tell you what time, and the ID number of the pod, that will be there for you to get on with fellow travellers to the same destination.
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Bob Wallace

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #159 on: December 05, 2017, 03:35:50 AM »
That's the system that I think could be a major hit.  High speed, express subway. 

Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #160 on: December 15, 2017, 10:02:50 PM »
Progress on the U.S. Northeast corridor tunnel system.  Apparently there are indications the tunnels will be built to use the “skate” system, rather than a Hyperloop, at this point.

Elon Musk’s Boring Company is reportedly starting to dig 12.4-mile tunnel in Maryland next month
Quote
Now a new utility permit obtained by Capital News Service shows that the company plans to “begin digging two parallel, 12.4-mile transportation tunnels in January 2018.

“The document lists the start location as “immediately north of MD 175” and details a dig to “within 0.25 miles of intersection of W. Pratt and S. Paca” -about a block from Oriole Park at Camden Yards – with tunnels running under the approximate route of the Maryland-owned section of Route 295, or the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.”
...
https://electrek.co/2017/12/15/elon-musk-boring-company-tunnel-maryland-hyperloop/
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Bob Wallace

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #161 on: December 15, 2017, 10:35:25 PM »
It's too short a distance to go full 'loop.  Passenger pods that can travel non-stop at over 100 MPH will be a great solution.

If the system runs as installed expect this to be a huge benefit for Baltimore.  It would open up a lot more affordable housing for people who work in DC.

Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #162 on: January 12, 2018, 10:17:57 PM »
Why we need Musk’s (future) faster and cheaper boring machines — and lots of them — ASAP!

The Most Awful Transit Center in America Could Get Unimaginably Worse
Think Penn Station is bad? Let’s go into the crumbling, disaster-prone tunnels that lie beneath.
Quote
To get to New York’s Penn Station, every northbound Amtrak passenger makes the last leg of their journey, through tunnels beneath the Hudson River, in the dark. Trust me: They should be glad. One day this autumn, an Acela pulls into Newark, N.J., and a railway spokesman escorts me onto the rear engine car, where we stand and take in the view facing backward. As we descend into one of the Hudson tunnels—there are two, both 107 years old, finished in the same year the Wright brothers built their first airplane factory—a supervisor flips on the rear headlights, illuminating the ghastly tubes.

Our train (unsurprisingly) is operating at reduced speed because of an electrical glitch, which just gives us more time to gawk at the damage. There are eerie, nearly fluorescent white stains on the tunnel walls that look like they were painted by a giant with a roller brush. The pale swaths are remnants of the salt water that inundated the passages five years ago, during Hurricane Sandy. Sulfates and chlorides have been eating away at the concrete ever since, exposing reinforcement bars underneath. “Keep your eyes peeled,” says Craig Schulz, the affable Amtrak spokesman, “and you’ll see some of these areas where there is literally just crumbling concrete.”

As we emerge into the bowels of Penn Station, Schulz points to wooden flood doors above the tunnel entrances. They were installed during World War II to hold back the river if the tubes were torpedoed by a Nazi submarine. In the gloom, the doors look a full century older than their vintage. They seem more suited for a dungeon than a modern rail system like this one—the Northeast Corridor, which runs from Boston to Washington, D.C., serving an area that generates a fifth of U.S. gross domestic product. Before we step off the train, Schulz repeats Amtrak’s mantra: The storm-ravaged tunnels are safe, for now, but the railroad doesn’t know how long it will be able to keep them in service. ...
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-01-10/the-most-awful-transit-center-in-america-could-get-unimaginably-worse
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Bob Wallace

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #163 on: January 12, 2018, 10:42:25 PM »
If Boring can greatly reduce the cost of tunneling as Musk think's possible then we're looking at a brand new world of public transportation.  Robo-vehicles for short hops and very fast underground travel for the longer trips.

Standard tunnel boring speed 60 feet per day (average).  Musk says that Boring can operate at 14x standard.

NYC to Washington DC 200 miles - straight line.  200 miles = 1,056,000 feet.

60 feet per day = 17,600 days.

600 feet per day (10x improvement - dialing back a bit from Musk's 14x) = 1,760 days 

Ten boring machines = 176 days.  Six months.

3,000 miles coast to coast.  200 10x-tunneling machines could complete a coast to coast tunnel in half a year. 
« Last Edit: January 12, 2018, 10:50:48 PM by Bob Wallace »

Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #164 on: January 18, 2018, 09:17:25 PM »
Round one of Boring Company funding –– involving the sale of 50,000 hats –– is now complete! ;D

https://electrek.co/2018/01/18/elon-musk-boring-company-hat-boring-machine-tour-tunnel/
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oren

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #165 on: February 01, 2018, 09:09:44 AM »
So I've been wondering, does it make sense to anyone that a tunnel to LAX would move cars instead of just people? Why bring a car to an airport?

Bob Wallace

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #166 on: February 01, 2018, 05:26:44 PM »
So I've been wondering, does it make sense to anyone that a tunnel to LAX would move cars instead of just people? Why bring a car to an airport?

It doesn't make sense to me but it may be that people with deep pockets who are in a hurry might pay more and fund the first tunnel project.  Sort of a Model S approach to getting things going in order to do lower profit margin projects later.


Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #167 on: February 01, 2018, 07:56:55 PM »
So I've been wondering, does it make sense to anyone that a tunnel to LAX would move cars instead of just people? Why bring a car to an airport?

Lots of cars go to LAX already. ;)  They park and fly, or pick up passengers.  The sled/skate project would get the cars off the surrounding roads, lessening the famous LA heavy traffic and pollution.  But the tunnel project would also include “people pods,” so travellers could get to and from the airport without a car.  (And unlike a train, get them to their destination station quickly, directly, and on-demand, without intervening stops).
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #168 on: February 01, 2018, 08:06:09 PM »
The Boring Company sold out of its 20,000 toy flamethrowers in three days.  At $500 a pop, that will bring in a cool $10 million.

Elon Musk (who changed his Twitter profile to “Zombie Defender” during the event), no doubt ‘felt the heat’ of his unusual campaign, tweeting today that extra safety will be included:

“All flamethrowers will ship with a complimentary boring fire extinguisher”
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/958932755194167296
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TerryM

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #169 on: February 14, 2018, 04:05:03 PM »
I remember Musk saying that smaller diameter tunnels would keep costs down.


Does anyone know whether the smaller size tunnels he was advocating are applicable with the new larger sized tubes that hyperloop, as envisaged by Virgin Hyperloop, will require?


Terry

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #170 on: February 14, 2018, 04:41:00 PM »
I remember Musk saying that smaller diameter tunnels would keep costs down.

Does anyone know whether the smaller size tunnels he was advocating are applicable with the new larger sized tubes that hyperloop, as envisaged by Virgin Hyperloop, will require?

Terry
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #171 on: February 14, 2018, 06:43:06 PM »
I remember Musk saying that smaller diameter tunnels would keep costs down.


Does anyone know whether the smaller size tunnels he was advocating are applicable with the new larger sized tubes that hyperloop, as envisaged by Virgin Hyperloop, will require?


Terry

Musk was comparing historically large, multi-vehicle-lane tunnels, with the tunnels he planned, which are only about 14 feet in diameter.  The hyperloop is of course much closer to 14 feet (4.27 m).
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TerryM

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #172 on: February 14, 2018, 07:29:27 PM »
I remember Musk saying that smaller diameter tunnels would keep costs down.


Does anyone know whether the smaller size tunnels he was advocating are applicable with the new larger sized tubes that hyperloop, as envisaged by Virgin Hyperloop, will require?


Terry

Musk was comparing historically large, multi-vehicle-lane tunnels, with the tunnels he planned, which are only about 14 feet in diameter.  The hyperloop is of course much closer to 14 feet (4.27 m).
Thanks
Terry

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #173 on: February 15, 2018, 03:31:16 PM »
I remember Musk saying that smaller diameter tunnels would keep costs down.


Does anyone know whether the smaller size tunnels he was advocating are applicable with the new larger sized tubes that hyperloop, as envisaged by Virgin Hyperloop, will require?


Terry

Musk was comparing historically large, multi-vehicle-lane tunnels, with the tunnels he planned, which are only about 14 feet in diameter.  The hyperloop is of course much closer to 14 feet (4.27 m).
Thanks
Terry
Current Devloop track is a 3.3m diameter tube.

Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #174 on: February 20, 2018, 12:58:58 AM »
Article includes satellite map image of Washington, D.C. location where the Boring Company has been given permission to dig.

“They are also bidding on one project that they didn’t initiate – they want Chicago’s proposed airport to downtown train to be a ‘high-speed loop’.”

Elon Musk’s Boring Company gets green-light for possible hyperloop station in Washington
https://electrek.co/2018/02/19/elon-musk-boring-company-hyperloop-washington/


Edit: Boring Company spokesman says D.C. location could involve hyperloop as well as slower intra-city “loops.”
Quote
“Last year, the internet needled Elon Musk for tweeting he had verbal approval to dig a Hyperloop tunnel in Washington, DC, because officials said they granted no such thing. Now, however, The Boring Company does have an honest-to-gosh written permit, albeit only for some preliminary site preparation and excavation, the Washington Post reports.

The Boring Company is working with an as-yet unnamed firm, possibly Hyperloop One, to build a line between New York City and Washington, DC, with stops at Philadelphia and Baltimore -- the "NY-Phil-Balt-DC Hyperloop." The total trip time between DC and NYC would be just 29 minutes, which would obviously revolutionize transportation, as you could work in Manhattan and live in Philly for one-tenth the price.

The permit is for a spot at 53 New York Avenue NE in Washington's trendy NoMa quarter. A Boring Company spokesperson told the WaPo that "a New York Avenue location, if constructed, could become a station" as part of the Hyperloop network of ultra-high-speed main lines and slower city "loops." ...”
https://www.engadget.com/amp/2018/02/19/elon-musk-hyperloop-digging-permit-washington-dc/
« Last Edit: February 20, 2018, 02:08:46 AM by Sigmetnow »
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #175 on: March 10, 2018, 01:37:59 PM »
Cross-posted from Hyperloop thread:

Elon Musk tweeted:
“Adjusting The Boring Company plan: all tunnels & Hyperloop will prioritize pedestrians & cyclists over cars”

“Will still transport cars, but only after all personalized mass transit needs are met. It’s a matter of courtesy & fairness. If someone can’t afford a car, they should go first.”

“Boring Co urban loop system would have 1000’s of small stations the size of a single parking space that take you very close to your destination & blend seamlessly into the fabric of a city, rather than a small number of big stations like a subway”

“Better video coming soon, but it would look a bit like this: “
https://mobile.twitter.com/elonmusk/status/972245615735222273/video/1

Article:
Elon Musk’s Boring Company will focus on hyperloop and tunnels for pedestrians and cyclists
https://electrek.co/2018/03/09/elon-musk-boring-company-hyperloop-tunnels-pedestrian-cyclist/

Edit:
Elon Musk:  “I guess you could say it’s a 150 mph, underground, autonomous, electric bus that automatically switches between tunnels and lifts. So, yes, a bus.”
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/972248154354495488
« Last Edit: March 10, 2018, 09:08:12 PM by Sigmetnow »
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #176 on: March 10, 2018, 02:02:31 PM »
Was Elon Musk’s announcement a response to this?

Cost for California bullet train system rises to $77.3 billion
Quote
The California bullet train project took a sharp jump in price Friday when the state rail authority announced the cost of connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco would total $77.3 billion, an increase of $13 billion from estimates two years ago, and could potentially rise as high as $98.1 billion.
...
The rail authority found that nobody could be sure what was under the ground in Fresno, driving up the cost of relocating sewers, water lines, communications cables and electrical conduits by hundreds of millions of dollars. Freight railroads insisted that the rail authority build barriers that would protect passenger trains from derailments on nearby freight tracks, a requirement that drove up costs by hundreds of millions of dollars, as well. ...
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-bullet-train-cost-increase-20180309-story.html

Just a note here that Boring Company tunnels would be deep enough underground (~40 feet / 12m) to avoid all those problems.... ;)
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oren

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #177 on: March 10, 2018, 03:55:39 PM »
Transporting pedestrians to and from lots of small stations makes a lot of sense, much more than transporting cars.

Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #178 on: March 11, 2018, 01:03:27 PM »
Tunnel sizes.
14 feet = 4.27 meters
38 feet = 11.58 meters
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #179 on: March 21, 2018, 02:52:45 PM »
“One is proposing a more traditional rapid rail service. The other is proposing a tunnel service. Cost components will be different. But the city won’t be on the hook for any of it.”

Elon Musk’s Boring Company ‘Loop’ is one of last two contenders for the Chicago transit system
Quote
By Friday, a new “request for proposals” (RFP) will be issued for both companies to complete by May 18. At that point, the city will choose a winner for the project.

To be clear, the winner doesn’t actually get any public funds to make the project a reality. They simply win the rights to develop the project, which they will have to fund themselves through revenue from transit fares.

As for the actual system called “Loop” that the Boring Company plans to deploy in Chicago, it’s actually different from the company’s other two projects in Los Angeles and between Washington D.C. and New York.
...
The company later elaborated on the ‘Loop’ concept on its website:

Loop is a high-speed underground public transportation system in which passengers are transported on autonomous electric skates traveling at 125-150 miles per hour. Electric skates will carry between 8 and 16 passengers (mass transit), or a single passenger vehicle.

It’s in line with Musk’s recent announcement that the Boring Company will focus on hyperloop and tunnels for pedestrians and cyclists instead of systems to move cars.
https://electrek.co/2018/03/21/elon-musk-boring-company-loop-chicago-transit-system/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #180 on: March 22, 2018, 01:47:51 PM »
Boring-killer?  ;D

Elon Musk:  Maybe there should be 2 providers for Chicago advanced transit. Monopolies are so boring ...
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/976661622235152384

     Elon Musk’s Boring Co. chosen as final two in Chicago-O’Hare tunnel project bid
     https://www.teslarati.com/elon-musk-boring-company-chicago-ohare-tunnel-final-two-bids/


Bonus:
Watch Tesla Model X pulling 250,000 lbs of muck rail cars out of the Boring Company’s tunnel
https://electrek.co/2018/03/22/tesla-model-x-pulling-250000-lbs-muck-rail-car-boring-company-tunnel/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #181 on: March 23, 2018, 03:02:23 AM »
Baltimore to Washington, D.C. 
Tunnels. 
With ‘Loop’ technology, which could be converted to Hyperloop. 
Entirely privately funded.
Construction would take between 12 and 20 months.

Elon Musk’s Boring Company unveils proposed ‘Loop’ route to travel Washington-Baltimore in 15 mins
Quote
After a few months of quietly working on their hyperloop project on the East Coast, Elon Musk’s Boring Company has now unveiled the first leg of the project, which is a ‘Loop’ transit system to travel between Washington D.C. and Baltimore in 15 minutes.
...
Today, they released more details about the proposed project, including a route of twin tunnels of approximately 35 miles in parallel from downtown DC to downtown Baltimore....
...
Interestingly, they specified that this part of the system will be a ‘Loop’, like the Boring Company’s Los Angeles and Chicago projects, instead of a Hyperloop, as described above.

They wrote:

“Loop tunnels are designed to be compatible with Hyperloop requirements (see FAQ for the difference between Loop and Hyperloop).  A Hyperloop trip from DC to New York would be less than 30 minutes, so we are hopeful that this tunnel could eventually be part of that trip.”

It sounds like they could eventually reduce the pressure in those tunnels to turn them into a part of the eventual longer east coast hyperloop.

Musk’s new startup, which he jokingly claims to be financing with the sale of hats and flamethrowers, says that the project would be entirely privately funded and it could be completed in only 12 to 20 months – depending on the speed they achieve with their boring machine. ...
https://electrek.co/2018/03/22/elon-musk-boring-company-loop-route-washington-dc-baltimore-route/


“Construction would take between 12 and 20 months depending on the achieved speed of the boring machine.”
https://www.boringcompany.com/eastcoast/
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Archimid

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #182 on: March 23, 2018, 03:37:24 AM »
If this is like the Falcon 1, or the Tesla Roadster then the next step is a boring machine factory. That way he can "mass produce" boring machines and generate significant savings, making tunnels much cheaper.
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SteveMDFP

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #183 on: March 23, 2018, 07:47:51 PM »
Baltimore to Washington, D.C. 
Tunnels. 
With ‘Loop’ technology, which could be converted to Hyperloop. 
Entirely privately funded.
Construction would take between 12 and 20 months.

Elon Musk’s Boring Company unveils proposed ‘Loop’ route to travel Washington-Baltimore in 15 mins
 

Nifty!  My home is on that map.  I might be the first ASIF poster to ride a Loop before long.  I'll take pictures (if I'm not too loopy).

Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #184 on: March 24, 2018, 12:27:33 AM »
If this is like the Falcon 1, or the Tesla Roadster then the next step is a boring machine factory. That way he can "mass produce" boring machines and generate significant savings, making tunnels much cheaper.

That is my thought as well — although it might also end up in a corner of SpaceX (or wherever they make their rocket bodies) or the Nevada Gigafactory (where they make electric motors...).  The website mentions Approximately 4 tunnel boring machine “launch pits”, so maybe four (or eight???) boring machines running at once?


SteveMDFP,
Yes, photos, please!
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #185 on: March 24, 2018, 01:25:25 PM »
If this is like the Falcon 1, or the Tesla Roadster then the next step is a boring machine factory. That way he can "mass produce" boring machines and generate significant savings, making tunnels much cheaper.

That is my thought as well — although it might also end up in a corner of SpaceX (or wherever they make their rocket bodies) or the Nevada Gigafactory (where they make electric motors...).  The website mentions Approximately 4 tunnel boring machine “launch pits”, so maybe four (or eight???) boring machines running at once?
...

Or consider this property in Long Beach, California, that SpaceX just acquired to build its next generation “BFR” rocket/spaceship.  Although the Boring machine is nowhere near the same size, this location would give them the option of shipping by boat or barge, as well as by truck.

https://www.teslarati.com/spacexs-first-bfr-manufacturing-facility-approved-long-beach-port-la-photos/
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wili

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #186 on: March 24, 2018, 01:58:01 PM »
I  have this feeling that we get obsessed with these kinds of 'how to' projects partly to avoid the harder questions of 'how come' i.e. 'why'.

Why do we feel a need to travel very rapidly over long distances. Somehow humans survived for millennia without this ability. Having the ability...the technical know how and resources...to do stupid, wasteful and unnecessary things, yet choosing not to do them, I would say, is one touchstone of wisdom (or at least of non-idiocy, which is maybe the highest we can, occasionally, hope for in our collective actions these days).
"A force de chercher de bonnes raisons, on en trouve; on les dit; et après on y tient, non pas tant parce qu'elles sont bonnes que pour ne pas se démentir." Choderlos de Laclos "You struggle to come up with some valid reasons, then cling to them, not because they're good, but just to not back down."

Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #187 on: March 24, 2018, 06:14:44 PM »
I  have this feeling that we get obsessed with these kinds of 'how to' projects partly to avoid the harder questions of 'how come' i.e. 'why'.

Why do we feel a need to travel very rapidly over long distances. Somehow humans survived for millennia without this ability. Having the ability...the technical know how and resources...to do stupid, wasteful and unnecessary things, yet choosing not to do them, I would say, is one touchstone of wisdom (or at least of non-idiocy, which is maybe the highest we can, occasionally, hope for in our collective actions these days).

Are many trips taken today unnecessary, and taken “because we can”?  Yes.
Have most societies grown up around the idea that travel is necessary and useful?  Yes.

Is the need to travel rapidly over long distances necessary?  Sometimes. In 1925, the Great Race of Mercy delivered life-saving medicine by dog sleds to Nome, Alaska when a diphtheria epidemic threatened the town.  The Continental Raliroad opened up the western U.S. for development in a way Conestoga Wagons could not.

Transportation that allows the spread of populations out of overcrowded cities can promote better health environments while still keeping access to centralized businesses and industry.  The speed of the transportation is an important factor in the feasability of living at a distance.

Fast transportation is not all good, nor all bad.  A new form of transportation that decreases carbon emissions, is more energy-efficient than existing options, and just happens to be faster should not be devalued simply because more speed is one of its benefits.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #188 on: March 26, 2018, 04:20:08 PM »
How to fund Boring Company tunnels.  Merchandising!*

1. Hats
2. “Not-a-Flamethrower”s
3. Life-size LEGO bricks made from the tunnel rock!


Elon Musk:

“New Boring Company merch coming soon. Lifesize LEGO-like interlocking bricks made from tunneling rock that you can use to create sculptures & buildings. Rated for California seismic loads, so super strong, but bored in the middle, like an aircraft wing spar, so not heavy.”
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/978140940241059840

“First kit set will be ancient Egypt — pyramids, Sphinx, temple of Horus, etc”
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/978142114339995648

Affordable housing?

“Yeah, the boring bricks are interlocking with a precise surface finish, so two people could build the outer walls of a small house in a day or so”
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/978147162319085569


*Elon’s reference:  Spaceballs, the movie  ::)

(P.S.:  If you are thinking, “There was an ASIF comment a while ago about Boring Company bricks…” you are correct: :D
https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,256.msg140486.html#msg140486 )
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Archimid

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #189 on: March 26, 2018, 04:31:22 PM »
Good lord, I love this man. Where people see muck he sees treasure.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #190 on: April 14, 2018, 05:05:23 PM »
Tesla car in a Boring Tunnel!

Boring Company LA tunnel moves for exemption as Elon Musk brings a Tesla in the first tunnel
Quote
Now they are working on a different 2.7-mile tunnel in West Los Angeles for which the city has prepared a CEQA Notice of Exemption to accelerate the project.

According to the city, the proposed tunnel would begin with the entry/exit point at 2352-6 Sepulveda Boulevard, north of West Pico Boulevard, in West Los Angeles. The tunnel would run southward under Sepulveda Blvd. and would end, without surfacing, below the vicinity of the intersection of Sepulveda Blvd. and Washington Boulevard in Culver City. ...
https://electrek.co/2018/04/14/boring-company-la-tunnel-elon-musk-tesla/

Cross-posted in the Cars thread.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #191 on: April 17, 2018, 01:41:03 PM »
90% is Musk’s money, rest is “early employees.”  No venture capitalist or investment firms were involved.

Elon Musk’s Boring Company raises $112.5 million for hyperloop and tunnel projects
https://electrek.co/2018/04/16/elon-musks-boring-company-capital-raise-hyperloop-tunnel-projects/
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Archimid

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #192 on: April 17, 2018, 02:39:39 PM »
Musk must be the worst scammer in the world. Why would he fund 90% this scam with of his own money? Any seasoned scammer will tell you that the trick is to get others to give you money not the other way around. Pffft.  /s

I'm sure Elon could've easily find 100 million to start any company he wanted. All he has to do is give up a significant part of his ownership and the risk to him is highly diminished, but he prefers not to. He prefers to risk his own money. Sorry for sounding like a fanboy, but I find that admirable.

I think Musk actions reflect that money is nothing to him but a means to an end. He needs money to make things happen and he needs to make money so that the things he makes can be sustained. However making money for the sake of making money is certainly not his objective.

There are a million ways to make money that are easier and more profitable than a boring company.
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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #193 on: April 17, 2018, 05:41:03 PM »
Obviously Elon is salting the gold mine.

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #194 on: April 21, 2018, 01:18:10 AM »
Los Angeles, California

Elon Musk’s Boring Co. proof-of-concept tunnel greenlit by LA committee
Quote
The Boring Company recently took a step forward in its goal of building a 2.7-mile proof-of-concept tunnel in Los Angeles, CA, with the City Council Public Works Committee exempting the tunneling startup from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). ...
https://www.teslarati.com/elon-musk-boring-co-proof-of-concept-tunnel-la-committee/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #195 on: May 11, 2018, 04:56:31 PM »
Elon Musk posted a video on Instagram of the ‘Loop (not Hyperloop) test tunnel under Los Angeles: 
Quote
First Boring Company tunnel under LA almost done! Pending final regulatory approvals, we will be offering free rides to the public in a few months.

Super huge thanks to everyone that helped with this project. Strong support from public, elected officials & regulators is critical to success.

As mentioned in prior posts, once fully operational (demo system rides will be free), the system will always give priority to pods for pedestrians & cyclists for less than the cost of a bus ticket.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BinoVT6Acpd/

Elon Musk Says Boring Company Will Offer Free Rides to the Public This Year
https://www.inverse.com/article/44750-boring-company-tunnel-video-shared-by-elon-musk


About those fund-raising projects....

It’s a kitchen appliance and not-a-flamethrower!  ;D

Boring Company Flamethrower is Ideal for Crème Brûlée, Bizarre Rules Claim
Elon Musk does not want you to burn your house down.
https://www.inverse.com/article/44755-boring-company-flamethrower
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Bob Wallace

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #196 on: May 11, 2018, 07:55:47 PM »
Quote
less than the cost of a bus ticket

And at super-subway speeds.  If this system works as Elon thinks it will then we'll see a major decrease in urban congestion.  All the people going any appreciable distance will go underground, leaving the surface streets for short distance travel. 

I can see cities establishing large parking lots outside the crowded level and moving people into and out of the city underground.  Charge a large fee for taking your personal car in.

Or robotaxis at each end of underground runs for the last mile stuff.

Sigmetnow

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #197 on: May 16, 2018, 08:52:59 PM »
Elon Musk:  “Will be presenting & taking questions about The Boring Company plans for Los Angeles at 7pm on Thursday”

The Boring Company:  Livestream tomorrow 7pm [Pacific Time] at http://boringcompany.com
https://twitter.com/boringcompany/status/996823232144490496

From May 10:
https://electrek.co/2018/05/10/elon-musk-video-boring-companys-first-completed-tunnel-los-angeles/
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rboyd

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #198 on: May 16, 2018, 09:34:08 PM »
Isn't Elon supposed to be sleeping in the car production plant to get the lines whipped into shape?

Bob Wallace

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Re: The Boring Company
« Reply #199 on: May 16, 2018, 09:37:24 PM »
He's been there, done that.

Production seems to be close to or above 3,000 M3s per week. 

There are a couple of automation problems in the factory that are being temporarily covered by using humans.  There's currently a 'hackathon' happening to see if a wide variety of talented people can come up with good ways to automate these functions.