Musk Says the Boring Company’s First Car Elevator Will Be Operating Next Week

A Not So Boring Announcement

On Friday, Elon Musk posted a series of tweets that at first seemed a bit odd ("I love floors"), but that quickly proved to be a lead-up for an exciting update about The Boring Company. Musk's thread of tweets ended with a video that showcased one of the most intriguing parts of The Boring Company's forthcoming tunnel system: the elevator for the electric sled.

Musk's concept for tunnels running under the streets of Los Angeles won't feature regular roads, so that's where the need for this "electric sled" comes in. According to The Boring Company's website and the concept video they released, the components of the elevator (shafts, sleds, and skates) will facilitate carrying cars down into the tunnel, as well as ferrying people. The sled itself is capable of traveling at speeds of 200 k/h (125 mph).

Ready for Testing

According to Musk, the first elevator for the electric sled could be operational by as soon as next week. This would indicate that construction of the first part of the L.A. tunnel — the Culver City route which would connect to the LAX — is well underway. With support from L.A. mayor Eric Garcetti, the progress isn't too surprising. That being said, just because some steady progress has been made and there's government support for Musk's project, until the Hyperloop is fully realized it's unlikely that there will be an immediate use for the electric sled's elevator. Other than for the purpose of testing, of course.

Still, seeing the inner workings of the project's progress is pretty neat, as was emphasized by a short video Musk posted that shows the area around the tunnel site.

Indeed, this is exciting work, and Musk is again demonstrating that he's capable of turning his ideas — no matter how far-fetched or relatively "boring" they may seem — into a reality.