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Elon Musk’s Boring Co. chosen as final two in Chicago-O’Hare tunnel project bid
Elon Musk’s The Boring Company has outlasted all but one of its competitors in its bid to create a downtown Chicago-O’Hare tunnel system. All that remains between what could potentially be the tunneling startup’s first big contract is O’Hare Xpress LLC — a consortium that includes participants from Meridiam, Antarctica Capital, JLC Infrastructure, Mott MacDonald, and First Transit.
Chicago’s proposed O’Hare transport system initially caught the eye of four major groups. So far, however, two of the teams which expressed interest in the project have backed down due to their inability to complete the system without requiring public subsidies. In a statement on Tuesday to the Chicago Sun-Times, Deputy Mayor Bob Rivkin admitted that the downtown to O’Hare line is a very ambitious initiative. Rivkin, however, noted that The Boring Company and O’Hare Xpress LLC have so far remained steadfast in their bids for the project.
“We set forth a pretty ambitious proposal for fast service from downtown to O’Hare at no public cost and two significant companies and consortia have responded that they can do it. One is proposing a more traditional rapid rail service. The other is proposing a tunnel service. Cost components will be different. But the city won’t be on the hook for any of it,” Rivkin said.
Despite outlasting two of its rivals on the project, Elon Musk’s tunneling startup still has a long way to go before it can be awarded the contract for the transport system, especially since Chicago Mayor Emanuel has placed a series of challenging requirements for the project.
For one, Emanuel noted that there should be no taxpayer support to fund the construction of the transport line. The system has to be fast too, with trips taking only 20 minutes or less between downtown Chicago and O’Hare. The system must also be able to operate for 20 hours straight every day, with 15-minute intervals between each trip. On top of all this, the Chicago Mayor wants the assurance that the system would be reasonably priced.
For Deputy Mayor Rivkin, these demands, while admittedly ambitious, are required to create a transport system that could support the upcoming expansion of O’Hare airport.
“O’Hare is not standing still. If the City Council agrees with our vision, O’Hare will be growing. And as O’Hare grows, the capacity to access O’Hare needs to grow,” Rivkin said.
The Boring Company and O’Hare Xpress LLC are required to submit their bids for the downtown Chicago to O’Hare route on May 18, following the city’s release of a request for proposals (RFP) this coming Friday. The city will be determining which team would be taking on the project after reviewing The Boring Co. and O’Hare Xpress’ proposals.
As we noted in a previous report, Rivkin’s predecessor on the city government, former Deputy Mayor Steve Koch, expressed his interest in Elon Musk’s vision of an affordable, underground transportation system. Koch and Musk reportedly even met to discuss the prospect of using The Boring Co.’s tunnels for Chicago.
“It was fascinating, really interesting. We’re going to try to see if they can make it work here. It depends on the cost, but I’m as intrigued as I’ve been (with anything) for a while,” Koch said.
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Elon Musk’s Grokipedia surges to 5.6M articles, almost 79% of English Wikipedia
The explosive growth marks a major milestone for the AI-powered online encyclopedia, which was launched by Elon Musk’s xAI just months ago.
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia has grown to an impressive 5,615,201 articles as of today, closing in on 79% of the English Wikipedia’s current total of 7,119,376 articles.
The explosive growth marks a major milestone for the AI-powered online encyclopedia, which was launched by Elon Musk’s xAI just months ago. Needless to say, it would only be a matter of time before Grokipedia exceeds English Wikipedia in sheer volume.
Grokipedia’s rapid growth
xAI’s vision for Grokipedia emphasizes neutrality, while Grok’s reasoning capabilities allow for fast drafting and fact-checking. When Elon Musk announced the initiative in late September 2025, he noted that Grokipedia would be an improvement to Wikipedia because it would be designed to avoid bias.
At the time, Musk noted that Grokipedia “is a necessary step towards the xAI goal of understanding the Universe.”
Grokipedia was launched in late October, and while xAI was careful to list it only as Version 0.1 at the time, the online encyclopedia immediately earned praise. Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger highlighted the project’s innovative approach, noting how it leverages AI to fill knowledge gaps and enable rapid updates. Netizens also observed how Grokipedia tends to present articles in a more objective manner compared to Wikipedia, which is edited by humans.
Elon Musk’s ambitious plans
With 5,615,201 total articles, Grokipedia has now grown to almost 79% of English Wikipedia’s article base. This is incredibly quick, though Grokipedia remains text-only for now. xAI, for its part, has now updated the online encyclopedia’s iteration to v0.2.
Elon Musk has shared bold ideas for Grokipedia, including sending a record of the entire knowledge base to space as part of xAI’s mission to preserve and expand human understanding. At some point, Musk stated that Grokipedia will be renamed to Encyclopedia Galactica, and it will be sent to the cosmos.
“When Grokipedia is good enough (long way to go), we will change the name to Encyclopedia Galactica. It will be an open source distillation of all knowledge, including audio, images and video. Join xAI to help build the sci-fi version of the Library of Alexandria!” Musk wrote, adding in a later post that “Copies will be etched in stone and sent to the Moon, Mars and beyond. This time, it will not be lost.”
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Tesla Model 3 becomes Netherlands’ best-selling used EV in 2025
More than one in ten second-hand electric cars sold in the country last year was a Tesla Model 3.
The Tesla Model 3 became the most popular used electric car in the Netherlands in 2025, cementing its dominance well beyond the country’s new-car market.
After years at the top of Dutch EV sales charts, the Model 3 now leads the country’s second-hand EV market by a wide margin, as record used-car purchases pushed electric vehicles further into the mainstream.
Model 3 takes a commanding lead
The Netherlands recorded more than 2.1 million used car sales last year, the highest level on record. Of those, roughly 4.8%, or about 102,000 vehicles, were electric. Within that growing segment, the Tesla Model 3 stood far ahead of its competitors.
In 2025 alone, 11,338 used Model 3s changed hands, giving the car an 11.1% share of the country’s entire used EV market. That means more than one in ten second-hand electric cars sold in the country last year was a Tesla Model 3, Auto Week Netherlands reported. The scale of its lead is striking: the gap between the Model 3 and the second-place finisher, the Volkswagen ID3, is more than 6,700 vehicles.
Rivals trail as residual values shape rankings
The Volkswagen ID.3 ranked a distant second, with 4,595 used units sold and a 4.5% market share. Close behind was the Audi e-tron, which placed third with 4,236 registrations. As noted by Auto Week Netherlands, relatively low residual values likely boosted the e-tron’s appeal in the used market, despite its higher original price.
Other strong performers included the Kia Niro, the Tesla Model Y, and the Hyundai Kona, highlighting continued demand for compact and midsize electric vehicles with proven range and reliability. No other model, however, came close to matching the Model 3’s scale or market presence.
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Tesla Model Y Standard Long Range RWD launches in Europe
The update was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official social media account on X.
Tesla has expanded the Model Y lineup in Europe with the introduction of the Standard Long Range RWD variant, which offers an impressive 657 km of WLTP range.
The update was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official social media account on X.
Model Y Standard Long Range RWD Details
Tesla Europe & Middle East highlighted some of the Model Y Standard Long Range RWD’s most notable specs, from its 657 km of WLTP range to its 2,118 liters of cargo volume. More importantly, Tesla also noted that the newly released variant only consumes 12.7 kWh per 100 km, making it the most efficient Model Y to date.
The Model Y Standard provides a lower entry point for consumers who wish to enter the Tesla ecosystem at the lowest possible price. While the Model 3 Standard is still more affordable, some consumers might prefer the Model Y Standard due to its larger size and crossover form factor. The fact that the Model Y Standard is equipped with Tesla’s AI4 computer also makes it ready for FSD’s eventual rollout to the region.
Top Gear’s Model Y Standard review
Top Gear‘s recent review of the Tesla Model Y Standard highlighted some of the vehicle’s most notable features, such as its impressive real-world range, stellar infotainment system, and spacious interior. As per the publication, the Model Y Standard still retains a lot of what makes Tesla’s vehicles well-rounded, even if it’s been equipped with a simplified interior.
Top Gear compared the Model Y Standard to its rivals in the same segment. “The introduction of the Standard trim brings the Model Y in line with the entry price of most of its closest competition. In fact, it’s actually cheaper than a Peugeot e-3008 and costs £5k less than an entry-level Audi Q4 e-tron. It also makes the Ford Mustang Mach-E look a little short with its higher entry price and worse range,” the publication wrote.
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia surges to 5.6M articles, almost 79% of English Wikipedia
Tesla Model 3 becomes Netherlands’ best-selling used EV in 2025
