Elon Musk's Ultra-High-Speed Hyperloop System Will Cost $1 to Ride
Elon Musk is trying to come up with a way to deal with "soul-destroying traffic" that has been the bane of most major cities in the US since it's been affecting him, too. His solution involves high-speed tunnel hyperloop systems that could cost just $1 per trip.
"There's a few ways to skin this cat," the SpaceX CEO started to explain about their new approach to solving the traffic problem. Musk, as it happened, also turned up late to his own Boring Company's information session in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 17.
Traffic is the culprit, of course. Congested highways and snail-paced commutes are "the seventh or eighth level" of hell, according to the SpaceX CEO as quoted by Mashable.
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The usual approach to traffic includes building more roads and highways, or adding lanes to existing ones. Once space on the ground runs out, then it's time to start layering the flyovers over them. It's a race to the top that had companies like Uber starting to plan for flying taxis, as well.
Musk and his Boring Company deviate from that approach, literally in this sense. They want to go deeper instead, perhaps 30 to 100 feet underground, and set up what could turn out to be an autonomous network of tunnels that offer highway-like speeds, a hyperloop system that could take commuters past the gridlock on the roads above it.
These need not be expensive as well. for city hyperloop trips, Musk said that they are looking at a cost of $1 for each trip.
This hyperloop system would have small stations that can carry 16 passengers at a time, with the whole thing protected from the weather. Once installed, it will have minimal to no impact on communities and existing neighborhoods as well since almost everything will be situated underground.
With no existing underground properties to contend with, this approach is almost limitless, as Musk explained. "For tunnels you can have hundreds of lanes, there's no real limit," he said.
If an area saw increased demand, then it's just a matter of adding more lanes and more stations to keep up with demand, all without disturbing existing communities. At this point, he takes a dig at UberAir.
"You can't fly the quietest helicopters through neighborhoods without bothering people," Musk said.
The Boring Company is currently working on test runs sent through prototype tunnels in Los Angeles, with city officials having recently given the green light for the company to put down 2.7 miles of test track.
Musk has also taken to social media to show off how far they've come along in their trials. The first Boring Company under LA is just waiting for regulatory approval before it can be made open to the public in a few months when they can try it for free.
