An Inside Look at Elon Musk’s Las Vegas Loop
In science-fiction movies, depictions of the future illustrate a world where we travel by jet pack, communicate via hologram, and perform medical procedures with spectrograph-mapping drones. In Elon Musk’s future, we are shuttled via complimentary rideshare service through a conference hall.
Last week, Elon Musk’s Boring Company invited the public to take part in a capacity ride test for the Las Vegas Loop at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC).
The Las Vegas Loop is a three-station transportation system that consists of 1.7 miles of tunnel 40 feet underground. The $52 million dual tunnel system will transport passengers across the LVCC campus in electric Tesla vehicles.
Here’s an inside look at the Las Vegas Loop’s underground tunnel system at the Convention Center. pic.twitter.com/kFjW1jVkuW
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The capacity ride test began at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Over 400 volunteers were instructed to gather at one of the three tunnel stations. For the next hour, riders boarded into vehicles, were driven to the other two stations, dropped off, and the cycle repeated.
Most riders averaged between eight to a dozen rides during the test. The rides went by swiftly as the staff eagerly organized the queue and passenger lines at each station.
For the majority of the time, the tunnels lit up with white fluorescent lights. For brief moments during, the tunnels glowed with pulsing colorful lights.
The drivers were happy to make conversation and were optimistic about the future of the Las Vegas Loop. The drivers concluded each ride with a ceremonious “Have a boring day!”
While the Teslas can drive a speed of 116 miles per hour, the vehicles – including Model 3 sedans, Model Y, and the Model X SUV – will be driven at a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour.
The Las Vegas Loop will be initially staffed with drivers, but they plan to have the vehicles operate autonomously in the future. The system currently has a fleet of 62 Teslas total.
At the end of the test riding event, volunteers were given ice cream, soft drinks, and asked to fill out comment cards. Submitted comment cards were automatically entered into a raffle, the main prize was a “flamethrower” made by the Boring Company.
According to the Boring Company’s website, the Las Vegas loop will reduce a 45-minute cross-campus walk time to a 2-minute ride. The Boring Company projects they will have the capacity to transport 4,000 passengers through the LVCC campus per hour.
Musk’s vision for the Las Vegas Loop is to expand the tunnel system underneath Las Vegas with stops at McCarran International Airport, Allegiant Stadium, the Fremont Street Experience, and more.
The loop will debut for its first real run at the World of Concrete show in June. With an estimated 30,000 attendees; marking the first major trade show at the LVCC in 15 months.
The Las Vegas Loop was approved by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) in 2019 to meet the demand for a new expansion at the LVCC.
In 2018, the LVCVA announced they would expand the LVCC. The $980.3 million West Hall expansion is now complete; featuring a 1.4 million-square-foot facility, 600,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, and 150,000 sq. ft. of meeting rooms.
The Las Vegas Loop is the first commercial endeavor for Musk’s Boring Company.
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