Elon Musk approved to create underground Tesla transport system in Las Vegas

Elon Musk’s Boring Company has been given the go ahead to create a large-scale underground transport system full of Tesla cars in Las Vegas.

Officials unanimously approved the entrepreneur’s Vegas Loop, which will connect the famed Las Vegas Strip, the stadium of the Las Vegas Raiders and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas campus.

The billionaire’s Boring Company has already built a smaller 1.7-mile version of the Loop system at the city’s Las Vegas Convention Center.

“Within a year, I would hope that we would be under construction with portions of the main system, and then we can continue to expand from there,” Steve Hill, CEO and president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, told FOX 5.

When the 29-mile system is completed it will have 700 Teslas driving through its tunnels at the same time, and be able to move around 57,000 people per hour through 51 stations.

Passengers will be charged between $5 and $20 per ride, depending on how far they travel, which officials say will be more than other modes of public transport, but less than ride-hailing companies.

Loop travellers may be riding in cars with human drivers, but the loop system does not have any traffic lights or stop signs within it.

The Loop will not need any taxpayer funding as the Boring Company will pay for construction and give the county a quarterly fee based on how much money it makes on fares.

Planned Loops in Los Angeles and Chicago have never progressed, but the company announced plans for systems in Florida in July and in Texas in August.

The Boring Company says that its tunnels are a practical approach to urban transit.

“To solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic, roads must go 3D, which means either flying cars or tunnels are needed. Unlike flying cars, tunnels are weatherproof, out of sight, and won’t fall on your head,” the company’s website states.

“Tunnels minimise usage of valuable surface land and do not conflict with existing transportation systems. A large network of tunnels can alleviate congestion in any city; no matter how large a city grows, more levels of tunnels can be added.”