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Musk’s Boring Co. set to pitch LA tunnel plans today to city council and public

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Elon Musk’s tunneling startup, The Boring Company, will be presenting its plan to build a tunnel system beneath Los Angeles in a city council meeting set to take place on Monday night, starting at 7 p.m. PST. A public audience will be present during the tunneling startup’s presentation in Culver City.

If The Boring Company manages to secure the approval of the City Council, it would be able to start its groundbreaking underground operations soon. As could be seen on the city’s official page for the session, the Elon Musk-led startup would be discussing its proposed LA tunnel map and its regional tunnel project, among other topics.

While the City of Culver City has formally called on interested residents to attend The Boring Company’s presentation on Monday, officials have has also asked for the general public’s opinion about the company’s proposed tunnel system through a dedicated online response page.

The Boring Company’s presentation will be held at the Mike Balkman Council Chambers in the City Hall of Culver City. It has not been revealed who would be conducting the presentation on behalf of The Boring Co., though the city did state that the session would allot a specific time for the public to address their most pressing concerns to the tunneling firm.

Phase 1 proof-of-concept tunnel for which The Boring Company has filed an excavation permit application. The Boring Company looks forward to receiving feedback from residents of the greater Los Angeles area on station locations and system improvements for Phase 2 and beyond. (Source: The Boring Company)

According to a report from The Argonaut, several city officials have visited the firm’s test tunnel at the SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, CA, where they were given a tour of the facilities.

Among these officials is Culver City Councilman Jim B. Clarke, who stated that there were still a lot of things that remain unclear about The Boring Company’s plans and its operations’ possible effects to the residents in the area. Clarke further asserted that the tunneling startup’s proposal would ultimately have to go through the public’s approval first. The councilman did admit, however, that the idea of building tunnels underground as a means of transportation is an exciting prospect, according to a report from The Argonaut.

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“When we were there about a month ago, there were still a lot of unanswered questions, and that may still be the case. This is informational. They still have to go through the [public approval’s] process, and that would take months.

“It’s very exciting. There’s a lot happening in transportation — drones flying overhead, autonomous vehicles on the ground and shuttles underneath.”

The Boring Company is aiming to build a 6.5-mile proof-of-concept tunnel from northeast Westchester to Brentwood, one of the most traffic-congested areas in the area. The startup’s tunnel system would run under Sepulveda Boulevard, right across Culver City. 

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Lufthansa Group to equip Starlink on its 850-aircraft fleet

Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.

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Credit: Lufthansa

Lufthansa Group has announced a partnership with Starlink that will bring high-speed internet connectivity to every aircraft across all its carriers. 

This means that aircraft across the group’s brands, from Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines to Brussels Airlines, would be able to enjoy high-speed internet access using the industry-leading satellite internet solution.

Starlink in-flight internet

Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release

Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites are expected to provide significantly higher bandwidth and lower latency than traditional in-flight Wi-Fi, which should enable streaming, online work, and other data-intensive applications for passengers during flights.

Starlink-powered internet is expected to be available on the first commercial flights as early as the second half of 2026. The rollout will continue through the decade, with the entire Lufthansa Group fleet scheduled to be fully equipped with Starlink by 2029. Once complete, no other European airline group will operate more Starlink-connected aircraft.

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Free high-speed access

As part of the initiative, Lufthansa Group will offer the new high-speed internet free of charge to all status customers and Travel ID users, regardless of cabin class. Chief Commercial Officer Dieter Vranckx shared his expectations for the program.

“In our anniversary year, in which we are celebrating Lufthansa’s 100th birthday, we have decided to introduce a new high-speed internet solution from Starlink for all our airlines. The Lufthansa Group is taking the next step and setting an essential milestone for the premium travel experience of our customers. 

“Connectivity on board plays an important role today, and with Starlink, we are not only investing in the best product on the market, but also in the satisfaction of our passengers,” Vranckx said. 

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Tesla locks in Elon Musk’s top problem solver as it enters its most ambitious era

The generous equity award was disclosed by the electric vehicle maker in a recent regulatory filing.

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Credit: Duke University

Tesla has granted Senior Vice President of Automotive Tom Zhu more than 520,000 stock options, tying a significant portion of his compensation to the company’s long-term performance. 

The generous equity award was disclosed by the electric vehicle maker in a recent regulatory filing.

Tesla secures top talent

According to a Form 4 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Tom Zhu received 520,021 stock options with an exercise price of $435.80 per share. Since the award will not fully vest until March 5, 2031, Zhu must remain at Tesla for more than five years to realize the award’s full benefit.

Considering that Tesla shares are currently trading at around the $445 to $450 per share level, Zhu will really only see gains in his equity award if Tesla’s stock price sees a notable rise over the years, as noted in a Sina Finance report.

Still, even at today’s prices, Zhu’s stock award is already worth over $230 million. If Tesla reaches the market cap targets set forth in Elon Musk’s 2025 CEO Performance Award, Zhu would become a billionaire from this equity award alone.

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Tesla’s problem solver

Zhu joined Tesla in April 2014 and initially led the company’s Supercharger rollout in China. Later that year, he assumed the leadership of Tesla’s China business, where he played a central role in Tesla’s localization efforts, including expanding retail and service networks, and later, overseeing the development of Gigafactory Shanghai.

Zhu’s efforts helped transform China into one of Tesla’s most important markets and production hubs. In 2023, Tesla promoted Zhu to Senior Vice President of Automotive, placing him among the company’s core global executives and expanding his influence beyond China. He has since garnered a reputation as the company’s problem solver, being tapped by Elon Musk to help ramp Giga Texas’s vehicle production. 

With this in mind, Tesla’s recent filing seems to suggest that the company is locking in its top talent as it enters its newest, most ambitious era to date. As could be seen in the targets of Elon Musk’s 2025 pay package, Tesla is now aiming to be the world’s largest company by market cap, and it is aiming to achieve production levels that are unheard of. Zhu’s talents would definitely be of use in this stage of the company’s growth.

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Tesla counters Norway’s VAT hike with dedicated consumer bonus

The move follows Tesla Norway’s stunning finish in 2025, where the company saw substantial sales during the final weeks of the year.

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Credit: Tesla Europe & Middle East/X

Tesla has rolled out a price incentive in Norway, effectively offsetting a notable VAT increase that hit electric vehicle buyers at the start of 2026.

The move follows Tesla Norway’s stunning finish in 2025, where the company saw substantial sales during the final weeks of the year.

A “Tesla bonus”

Once the VAT increase kicked in at the start of 2026, Tesla Norway’s sales cooled almost immediately, as noted in a CarUp report. Tesla’s response was swift, with the electric vehicle maker rolling out what it calls a “Tesla bonus.”

This bonus effectively cuts prices by up to 50,000 kronor across eight model variants. All versions of the Tesla Model Y qualify for the incentive, along with most Tesla Model 3 trims, save for the base entry-level model.

This means that for Tesla Norway’s best-selling vehicles, the bonus effectively restores pricing to pre-VAT levels. This blunts the impact of the new tax and makes Tesla’s vehicle offerings competitive again in Europe’s most EV-saturated market.

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Stabilizing demand

In addition to the “Tesla bonus,” the electric car maker is also offering a promotional interest rate for up to three years, with terms varying by model. The incentive applies to orders placed between January 9 and March 31, 2026, with delivery required by the end of the first quarter.

The stakes are high in Norway, where electric vehicles dominate new-car registrations. From the vehicles that were sold in 2025, 96% of new cars sold were fully electric. And from this number, Tesla and its Model Y made their dominance felt. This was highlighted by Geir Inge Stokke, director of OFV, who noted that Tesla was able to achieve its stellar results despite its small vehicle lineup.

“Taking almost 20% market share during a year with record-high new car sales is remarkable in itself. When a brand also achieves such volumes with so few models, it says a lot about both demand and Tesla’s impact on the Norwegian market,” Stokke stated.

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