Elon Musk's intention in building the Boring Company and its high-speed electronic sled may not be limited to cars. Reports say that the SpaceX and Tesla CEO is building a network of underground tunnels that can also work for his previous brainchild, the Hyperloop.
Rumors behind the link between the underground tunnel and the Hyperloop started when the Boring Company recently added a FAQ page on its website. The new page explains the goal of the company and it greatly involves Hyperloop.
"Fast to dig, low-cost tunnels would also make Hyperloop adoption viable and enable rapid transit across densely populated regions, enabling travel from New York to Washington DC in less than 30 minutes," according to the Boring Company's official website.
The new page also discussed why underground tunnel systems and not flying cars are the immediate response to help alleviate traffic in Los Angeles. Based on the information provided, going deeper offers limitless possibilities on how many levels of tunnels can be made. The Boring Company's tunnels are also believed to be weatherproof and can be built without causing much disturbance in everyday life.
According to Futurism, the Boring Company is also trying to address its main problem -- the cost of building an underground tunnel system. Current systems require about $1 billion per mile. Elon Musk's company tries to reduce the cost by reducing the diameter of the tunnels to less than 4 meters (14 feet) from the usual size of 8.5 meters (28 feet) in diameter. Musk also believes that the cost can be further lessened with the use of the "electric sled."
The electric sled is capable of moving cars at the speed of 124 miles per hour. Based on the video released by the company, cars can descend to the underground network of tunnels by using the sled. The sled will then sped through the tunnel systems.
Elon Musk is currently developing its Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) nicknamed "Godot." However, reports say that Godot is not yet as fast as the company hopes it to be. The Boring Company wants Godot to increase its digging speed to also help cut down the cost of building the underground tunnel system.