Friday, May 24, 2019

UPDATE: Elon's Boring Company appears to have its first paying customer

The story thus far:
June 2018
"Elon Musk’s Boring Co. Wins Chicago Airport High-Speed Train Bid"
I guess it's official, Mr. Musk is an impresario, joining the ranks of Ziegfeld and Tyler Perry where you have to preface the company or production with the guy's name. 
Feb. 27
Elon Musk's Boring Co. Chicago Tunnel Project Is Dead
March 8
Las Vegas convention authority wants Musk's The Boring Company to build 2-mile loop 
With both the candidates in the Chicago mayoral run-off election coming out against the tunnel to O'Hare airport, Elon is going to have to do something to keep the boring machines boring.
May 21
"Las Vegas tunnel could go to competitor of Musk's Boring Co"

And from Ars Technica, May 23:

One dissenting vote from the board based on the company's lack of experience. 
On Wednesday, the board of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) voted to grant The Boring Company—Elon Musk's private tunneling venture—a $48.6 million contract to build a two-mile Loop at the expanding Las Vegas Convention Center.

LVCVA officials recommended The Boring Company's proposal to the board back in March, saying that it had the most competitive price among the transportation companies that submitted proposals. At the time, Boring Company officials said they could build the Convention Center's transportation system for between $33 million and $55 million. According to the Las Vegas Sun, the final cost for the project is expected to be $52.5 million.

Elon Musk's Boring Company wants to ameliorate traffic by moving people through tunnels on electric cars or electric skates at speeds of up to 155 miles per hour. Musk has said he can significantly reduce the cost of tunneling through the company's technical improvements to boring machines, the reuse of dirt to create concrete reinforcement, the use of continuous tunneling and reinforcing operations, and by digging smaller tunnels that don't need to accommodate internal combustion engines....MORE