Elon Musk's new Las Vegas underground transport system compared to a 'cr**py Disney ride'
Elon Musk's new underground public transport system unveiled in Las Vegas has been panned by critics who compared it to a "cr**py Disney ride" and suggested it was no more effective than a traditional subway.
The futuristic underground transportation system underneath the Las Vegas Convention Center campus was supposed to offer a quick way to move attendees at the convention around the campus in minutes, using electric Tesla cars.
The idea from Musk's The Boring Company had conjured up images like something from futuristic film, but fans were left disappointed when the new system, which cost around $50million, was unveiled on Friday (April 9) at a media preview.
Rather than driverless cars moving at speed between parts of the campus, the preview showed ordinary Tesla cars being driven by humans through a tunnel at around 35mph.
Elon Musk's Boring Company shows off Vegas tunnel again, and it looks lame - CNET https://t.co/whFaiNUKVt
— Emawk Fan (@easy_mfpeasy) April 10, 2021
What I gathered from that is the hyperloop’a a failure so they just stuck a bunch of Tesla’s in the tunnels.
— Uneducated Investor (@uneducated_inv) April 9, 2021
"You might think this is just a subway, but it's more like an underground highway."
So, far less efficient at moving people...— VeloHench (@HenchVelo) April 9, 2021
The system, which includes two one-way underground vehicle tunnels and three stations, is designed to carry 4,400 people per hour using a fleet of vehicles.
It is scheduled to be fully operational in June to coincide with the return of a large-scale convention at the centre.
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But critics and commentators were left underwhelmed by Friday's demonstration.
Tech website Gizmodo wrote: 'Elon Musk's 'Public Transit' in Las Vegas Still Just Humans Driving Cars Slowly in a Tunnel,' while the website Jalopnik used the headline: 'Elon Musk's Dumb Tesla Tunnel Now The Lamest Thing In Las Vegas!', with writer Jason Torchinsky saying: "It’s just some Tesla Model 3s driving slowly in a tube."
Watch: First look at underground tunnel
The project also came under fire on Twitter.
One user wrote: "You might think this is just a subway, but it's more like an underground highway," adding: "So, far less efficient at moving people..."
Another wrote: "Watch Teslas slowly move through Elon Musk's new Boring Company tunnel under Las Vegas. Cause it’s a crappy Disney Ride," and another user added: "Vegas actually let Elon Musk make a less efficient subway system."
One person compared it to a "moving walkway" while another posted a picture of an underground car tunnel, suggesting it was basically the same thing.
I mean that sounds good in practice, but could you ever get it above the speed of a moving walkway??? https://t.co/491FbK0r43
— chrome chomsky 🅙 (@chomsky_chrome) April 9, 2021
So wait, it’s kinda like this? But with one lane and the cars move slow? pic.twitter.com/brnLNMhXVO
— Shabazz Stuart (@ShabazzStuart) April 9, 2021
The system was created in a bid to address the issue of gridlock in Las Vegas.
Early plans for the system suggested vehicles would be able to carry 16 people at once, but at the moment it is using normal electric Model 3 and Model X Tesla cars, which can only travel at 35-40 mph because of the short distance of the tunnels.
Musk has also described plans for an underground train system called Hyperloop that would move people from city to city in record time.
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