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The Boring Company’s garage-elevator site shows flurry of activity ahead of Dec 10 public showing

[Credit: Pauline Acalin/Teslarati]

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Less than a week after Elon Musk announced that The Boring Company would be holding a public showing of its Hawthorne tunnel system on December 10, the tunneling startup’s site for its garage-elevator has started exhibiting a flurry of activity. As revealed in recent photographs of the site, The Boring Company appears to be expediting the construction of the O’Leary Station.

Recent social media uploads from The Boring Company’s official Twitter account have teased a shaft that’s being constructed on a private lot at 120th Street and Prairie Avenue, located roughly at the halfway point of the company’s 2-mile Hawthorne test tunnel. The site, which the startup dubbed as the O’Leary Station after 13-year SpaceX veteran Patrick O’Leary, appears to be part of a proof-of-concept for a tunnel design that links directly to a residential garage.

Teslarati photographer Pauline Acalin recently captured photographs of the work currently being done at the garage-elevator’s site. Compared to the first images that Teslarati photographers were able to capture earlier this month, the new set of photos show that the Prairie Ave location has been filled with more materials for the garage-elevator’s construction. A crew of workers was also busy working on the site during the time the photographs were taken. In what could be yet another teaser for an upcoming Elon Musk project, one of the workers in the site was wearing a shirt with the words “The Brick Company,” written in the same font as The Boring Company’s logo.

The Boring Company’s site for its prototype garage-elevator shows activity. [Credit: Pauline Acalin/Teslarati]

These latest images provide the closest look yet at the Boring Company’s garage-elevator concept, particularly the size of the excavation, which definitely seems designed to fit even large vehicles like trucks and full-sized SUVs. Large conventional car elevators are usually around 20 feet at their longest, but if these latest images are any indication, the diameter of the Boring Company’s garage elevator seems to be far beyond 20 feet.

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In a rather clever fashion, the Boring Company’s garage elevator concept would likely serve as a point of access for tunnel maintenance, as well as an exit point for the removal of tunnel boring machine (TBM) segments. The retrieval of TBM segments defies conventional tunneling practices, since components such as TBM cutting heads are usually left underground due to the costs associated with their retrieval.

An approval for the construction of the garage-elevator concept was granted by the city council of Hawthrone last September. The design of the garage-elevator is quite straightforward. Vehicles would enter a tunnel from the SpaceX campus itself, move through a tunnel system, onto the prototype garage-elevator, and travel back into the SpaceX facility.

The Boring Company’s site for its prototype garage-elevator shows activity. [Credit: Pauline Acalin/Teslarati]

Unlike the Boring Company’s other proof-of-concept projects such as the Dugout Loop or the test tunnel that would be up for public showing on December 10, the garage-elevator would be exclusively used for testing purposes only. In a comment about the project, Boring Company representative Jane Labanowski also stated that the site would be an essential part of the tunneling startup’s vision for the future.

“It’s an important part of the longer-term vision the company is trying to build,” she said.

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While the commuting public would not be utilizing the garage-elevator, it would be a great idea for The Boring Company to complete the project before the test tunnel’s public showing in December. By having the garage-elevator fully-operational by December 10, attendees of the upcoming public showing would get a clearer idea of how Elon Musk’s tunnels can make transportation faster and easier. 

While the Boring Company is a young tunneling startup that is more well-known for its clever and unique merchandise such as Elon Musk’s Not-a-Flamethrower, the company is also involved in high-profile initiatives. The Boring Company, for, managed to win a contract for the downtown Chicago-O’Hare high-speed transport system earlier this year, beating out larger conglomerates bidding on the project. If the Boring Company is successful in the Chicago-O’Hare transport line, Berenberg analyst Alexander Haissl noted that the tunneling startup could be worth as much as $16 billion.

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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Tesla Full Self-Driving’s European launch frustrations revealed by Elon Musk

Tesla plans to launch Full Self-Driving in Europe later this year, but regulatory bodies are proving to make it a bigger challenge than it needs to be.

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Credit: Tesla Europe and Middle East | X

Tesla Full Self-Driving is set to launch in Europe in the future, but the region’s governing bodies are not giving the suite any chance to move forward, according to CEO Elon Musk, who blames the regulatory processes for robbing citizens of a safer mode of travel.

The automaker revealed late last year that it planned to bring Full Self-Driving to Europe sometime in 2025. However, Musk said that the launch of the suite is being continuously prolonged by both individual and European Union officials, dragging their feet with approvals.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Musk said the company is still dealing with and waiting for approvals from both the Dutch government and the EU’s governing officials, giving an indication that some progress has been made, but ultimately, there are still some bodies that are taking their time:

He continued by stating that the delays are “very frustrating” and they “hurt the safety of people in Europe” because of Autopilot’s statistical prowess, which shows it is much safer than human drivers.

Tesla is readying for the launch of a completely driverless Robotaxi platform in the U.S., which is set to occur in the coming days. While the initial rollout of the platform will be reserved for a select few, public rides are slated for June 22, meaning anyone will be able to come to Austin and hail a Tesla Robotaxi through the company’s smartphone app.

The first Robotaxi without a driver was spotted in Austin yesterday and shared on X:

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First Tesla driverless robotaxi spotted in the wild in Austin, TX

Musk dropped several hints that the Robotaxi launch, which has been rumored for June 12, is imminent. For now, the operation will take place in Austin and will eventually expand, likely to California next, as noted in past reports. The City’s official website confirmed that Tesla gained a license as an Autonomous Vehicle operator in the City of Austin earlier this week.

Tesla applied for a similar license in California earlier this year.

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Energy

Tesla Lathrop Megafactory celebrates massive Megapack battery milestone

The Tesla Megapack is the backbone of Tesla Energy’s battery deployments.

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Credit: Tesla Megapack/X

The Tesla Lathrop Megafactory recently achieved a new milestone. As per the official Tesla Megapack account on X, the Lathrop Megafactory has produced its 15,000th Megapack 2 XL battery.

15,000 Megapack Batteries

Tesla celebrated the milestone with a photo of the Lathrop Megafactory team posing with a freshly produced Megapack battery. To commemorate the event, the team held balloons that spelled out “15,000” as they posed for the photo.

The Tesla Megapack is the backbone of Tesla Energy’s battery deployments. Designed for grid-scale applications, each Megapack offers 3.9 MWh of energy and 1.9 MW of power. The battery is extremely scalable, making it perfect for massive energy storage projects.

https://twitter.com/Tesla_Megapack/status/1932578971700638203

More Megafactories

The Lathrop Megafactory is Tesla’s first dedicated facility for its flagship battery storage system. It currently stands as the largest utility-scale battery factory in North America. The facility is capable of producing 10,000 Megapack batteries every year, equal to 40 GWh of clean energy storage.

Thanks to the success of the Megapack, Tesla has expanded its energy business by building and launching the Shanghai Megafactory, which is also expected to produce 40 GWh of energy storage per year. The ramp of the Shanghai Megafactory is quite impressive, with Tesla noting in its Q1 2025 Update Letter that the Shanghai Megafactory managed to produce over 100 Megapack batteries in the first quarter alone.

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Tesla Energy’s Potential

During the first quarter earnings call, CEO Elon Musk stated that the Megapack is extremely valuable to the energy industry. 

“The Megapack enables utility companies to output far more total energy than would otherwise be the case… This is a massive unlock on total energy output of any given grid over the course of a year. And utility companies are beginning to realize this and are buying in our Megapacks at scale,” Musk said.

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News

Tesla launches “TeslaVision” video contest to celebrate Model Y deliveries

The program marks a revival of Tesla’s popular Project Loveday initiative back in 2017.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla has announced the TeslaVision Contest, a global video showcase inviting fans and owners to highlight the impact of the company’s vehicles on people. 

The program marks a revival of its Project Loveday initiative in 2017, which was extremely well-received by the electric vehicle community. 

A Contest to Celebrate the New Model Y

As per the TeslaVision contest’s official website, the program is being rolled out to commemorate the launch and deliveries of the new Model Y across all continents. Thus, the contest could be seen as a global celebration and showcase of owners and fans who made Tesla the household brand that it has become today.

Participants are tasked with creating a 90-second or shorter video demonstrating how Tesla vehicles provide “more freedom, more safety, more fun, more convenience.” Submissions must be uploaded to YouTube and shared on X and Instagram with the tag @Tesla and the phrase “TeslaVision contest.” 

Videos must align with Tesla’s mission to accelerate sustainable energy, be suitable for all ages, and avoid references to non-Tesla brands. English text or voice-overs are required, and entrants must relinquish rights to their content for Tesla’s commercial use.

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https://twitter.com/Tesla/status/1932559030892802153

A Big Prize Awaits

When Tesla launched Project Loveday in 2017, the company noted that the contest’s winner would receive an all-expenses paid invitation to an upcoming Tesla product launch. For TeslaVision, the grand prize is a lot more tangible, with the winner receiving a new Model Y AWD. They will also get an all-expenses-paid trip to Gigafactory Texas. Second and third-place winners will also receive a Giga Texas tour. 

Finalists will be selected based on creativity, originality, relevance to the prompt, and entertainment value. Tesla will shortlist 100 videos, with the top 10 subject to public voting to influence the final judging. The contest is open to legal residents of the United States, Mexico, and Canada, aged 18 or older, with a valid driver’s license and Tesla account. No purchase is necessary, though entries are limited to just one per person. 

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