--- title: "Leak Allegedly Shows Bizarre New Tesla Vehicle" description: "Van Life An intriguing new video shows what appears to be an early prototype of a Tesla van that is designed to carry passengers through the Boring Company's Las Vegas Loop. The basic minibus-like vehicle closely resembles the pods The Boring Company showed off in its renders five years ago. At the time, Tesla and […]" date: "2023-07-11" modified: "2023-07-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/leaks-allegedly-show-new-tesla-vehicle" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "elon musk" - "tesla" - "the boring company" - "the digest" --- # Leak Allegedly Shows Bizarre New Tesla Vehicle ![An intriguing new video shows what appears to be an early prototype of a Tesla van that is designed to carry passengers through a tunnel.]() *\Image: Jacob Orth\* ## Van Life An [intriguing new video]() shows what appears to be an early prototype of a Tesla van designed to carry passengers through the Boring Company's Las Vegas Loop. The basic minibus-like vehicle [closely resembles the pods]() the Boring Company showed off in its renders five years ago. At the time, Tesla and Boring Company CEO Elon Musk [promised]() that the company's tunnels would feature "fully road legal autonomous transport cars" and "ground to tunnel car elevators." The reality, however, [looked quite different]() by the time the operation [finished construction]() of its people-mover tunnels at the Las Vegas Convention Center back in 2020, relying instead on a fleet of slightly modified Tesla passenger cars. So is — or was — Tesla or the Boring Company really working on such a van? At this point, we can only speculate. https://twitter.com/JacobsVegasLife/status/1678509827981451265?ref\_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1678509827981451265%7Ctwgr%5E20f0e86f743b3d59006468cb380a4a481c2fc77f%7Ctwcon%5Es1\_&ref\_url=https%3A%2F%2Felectrek.co%2F2023%2F07%2F10%2Ftesla-people-mover-vehicle-video-allegedly-leaks%2F ## Passenger Pod The short clip of the prototype leaves us with plenty of questions. *Electrek* [wasn't able to confirm]() the video's authenticity, but according to Las Vegas-based content creator Jacob Orth, who shared the clip, the video was taken inside the Boring Company's Las Vegas headquarters. Oddly enough, the prototype even appears to have a Tesla steering wheel, suggesting it's far from being able to navigate streets or even tunnels by itself. It also features two rows of rudimentary seats, totaling 12 seats, suggesting a far more design-appropriate vehicle to take thousands of passengers from point A to point B. Tesla has talked about building an electric passenger bus or van for many years, with Musk promising "high passenger-density urban transport" in his 2016 "[Tesla Master Plan Part 2]()." But could this really be evidence that Tesla or The Boring Company is or was working on such a van? Is it a long-canceled project, or a sign that Musk hasn't given up on efficient mass transportation? Tesla dissolved its PR department years ago — so it's unlikely we'll get answers any time soon. **More on Boring Company:** *[Elon Musk Says Boring Company Will Build Underground Hyperloop]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()