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Elon Musk sold $2M in The Boring Company Flamethrowers in 24 hours

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Elon Musk’s tunneling startup, The Boring Company, has officially unveiled its flamethrower. Costing $500, the fiery, undoubtedly cool device is now available for pre-order.

The Boring Co. flamethrower seemingly started off as a joke back in December, when Elon Musk announced on Twitter that if he sells 50,000 Boring Company hats, he would start selling a flamethrower. The idea seemed so silly then that many members of the online community dismissed Musk’s statement as a joke. In true Elon Musk fashion, however, the fiery device actually turned out to be real.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeeYW0NA1HU/

Signs that The Boring Co. flamethrower was a real thing emerged earlier this month when musician D.A. Wallach demonstrated the fiery contraption on his Instagram page. Wallach’s post, which was taken at a Boring Co. tunneling site, featured the musician playing around with the flamethrower. Even then, however, speculations were still high that the device on Wallach’s hands was probably a one-off piece.

As it turns out, there will be 20,000 more. The device is priced at a pretty reasonable $500 a piece, though The Boring Co. also sells an admittedly overpriced fire extinguisher for an additional $30.

The flamethrower is yet another nod to Spaceballs, a movie that Musk is a huge fan of. In the movie, Yogurt, the film’s parody of Star Wars’ Yoda, shows off a number of Spaceballs-themed items, among them a flamethrower. Poking fun at the fact that movie merchandise is usually targeted towards the younger demographic, Yogurt proudly claimed that kids “love” the Spaceballs flamethrower.

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With Elon Musk being Elon Musk, however, he could not resist mentioning the zombie apocalypse in his recent tweets, with the SpaceX and Tesla CEO pitching the device as a great way to handle the upcoming zombie outbreak. Musk assured the Twitterverse, however, that he would not, in any way, cause the zombie apocalypse as a means to sell more Boring Co. flamethrowers. Musk did mention, however, that after the flamethrowers are sold out, The Boring Company Freezegun would be next. No dates about the release of the Freezegun have been provided.

During the course of Musk’s Twitter session this weekend, the serial entrepreneur confirmed that 4,000 Boring Co. flamethrowers have already been sold. This means that in less than 24 hours, Elon Musk had managed to raise $2 million from selling flamethrowers online. Considering Musk’s previous statements about building the Boring Company one hat at a time, it seems like the flamethrowers are proving to be a great way to augment the tunneling startup’s funds even more.  

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Before everyone panics about the dangers of Elon Musk’s flamethrowers, however, it is pertinent to note that The Boring Company flamethrower is not really a full-fledged flamethrower. During his Twitter updates, Musk stated that the device would only shoot flames over short distances, minimizing danger while maximizing the device’s fun factor.

Based on the videos of the device, it seems like the Boring Co. flamethrower is simply a propane torch fitted on what seems to be a modified CSI S.T.A.R. XR-5 Airsoft Rifle. Thus, in a lot of ways, Elon Musk’s flamethrower is really more similar to weed-killing torches like the Weed Dragon, which could be bought at hardware stores, than an actual flamethrower, such as the XM42-M, which can shoot flames up to 30 feet.

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Considering the pace at which The Boring Company flamethrowers are selling, it might not be too long before the Boring Co. Freezegun becomes a reality.

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’s mirrorless Cybercab will give riders a visibility upgrade

Tesla engineer confirms Cybercab update letting riders pull up rear and repeater cameras on demand.

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Tesla Cybercab camera visibility for passengers (Credit: Dan Burkland via X)
Tesla Cybercab camera visibility for passengers (Credit: Dan Burkland via X)

Tesla is working on a Cybercab update that would let passengers pull up the vehicle’s rear and side cameras on demand, and the request came straight from a rider.

The exchange played out on X late Friday. Cybercab rider Dan Burkland shared photos of the two-seater’s cabin screen after an evening ride, praised the UI team’s work, and left one request: let riders open the rear and repeater cameras whenever they want, “especially for peace of mind.” Tesla UI software engineer Evan (@CarCoder) answered with two words: “In development.”

The idea fits a pattern Teslarati has tracked since public rides began. Days after paid Cybercab service opened in Austin, Tesla sent riders a survey that asked them to rate the touchscreen, the app and the cabin, and to pick the features they wanted most. We reported on that survey in September, and a camera view is the kind of small software change Tesla can push quickly if riders keep asking.

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It also speaks to something unique about the vehicle. With no steering wheel, no pedals and no driver, passengers have no mirror to check and no way to see behind them. The hardware is clearly built for camera awareness, from the repeater cameras to the rear camera. Letting a passenger look through those same cameras would give a nervous first time rider a way to confirm what is around the car.

The timing matters because the fleet is growing fast. Tesla’s Robotaxi account said on Saturday that more than 300 Cybercabs are now serving Austin, an eightfold increase in 30 days, and Tesla AI chief Ashok Elluswamy named Dallas as the next city. More cars and more cities mean more people riding in a driverless vehicle for the first time, which is exactly when small trust features carry weight.

For now, the feature is confirmed only as in development. If Tesla follows its usual pattern with Cybercab software, riders could see it appear in a point release without any announcement, and Teslarati will watch for it.

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Elon Musk’s surprise addition to the X Takeover lineup has fans talking

Elon Musk will join Saturday’s X Takeover at Giga Texas for a live virtual interview.

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Credit: Tesla Owners Silicon Valley
Credit: Tesla Owners Silicon Valley

Elon Musk will join X Takeover at Giga Texas on Saturday for a live virtual interview, according to Sawyer Merritt, who shared the news late Thursday. Musk will not be on stage in Austin. The conversation is set to stream for free on the @teslaownersSV account on X.

Organizers had kept expectations in check. In a September update, Tesla Owners Silicon Valley said Musk had appeared at the event twice before but was not promising a third appearance, even as fans hoped he would walk the Giga Texas grounds in person. A virtual spot matches 2024, when Musk gave a surprise interview of about an hour to the crowd in San Luis Obispo, as Teslarati reported at the time.

This year’s edition is a first in several ways. It is the first X Takeover held outside California and the first at a Tesla facility, with tickets selling out in eight days. Tesla provides the venue, but the event is produced independently by Tesla Owners Silicon Valley. The main event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT, followed by a drone and light show at 9 p.m. Maye Musk is the keynote speaker, Franz von Holzhausen is set for a virtual keynote, and Nicki Minaj is the special guest. Joe Tegtmeyer, whose drone footage Teslarati used to track the Optimus factory steel frame at Giga Texas, is also on the speaker list.

Musk’s interview topics have not been revealed, but the backdrop is busy. Tesla doubled its Cybercab fleet in Austin in late September, and last week Musk explained why Robotaxi hours only moved from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.. Merritt also reported Thursday that Texas DMV records now show 319 registered Cybercabs, up from 169. NHTSA’s deadline for Tesla’s sworn answers on Cybercab certification is October 30, and Tesla reports third quarter earnings on October 21.

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Fans who cannot make it to Austin can watch the livestream on X. Musk tends to say more in unscripted settings than he does in prepared remarks, which is the reason this one is worth having open on Saturday.

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Elon Musk’s Boring Company lands a new Middle East deal, and Nashville is about to get faster

The Boring Company signs Abu Dhabi tunnel agreement while adding more Prufrock machines in Nashville.

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The Boring Company has signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi to study underground transport and utility tunnels across the emirate, adding a second UAE city to its pipeline as it prepares to also scale up tunneling back home in Nashville.

The deal was signed Thursday at the Liveability and Investment Exhibition (LIVEX 2026) by Boring Company President Steve Davis and Maysarah Mahmoud Salim Eid, director general of the Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre (ADPIC), according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office. Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa, chairman of the emirate’s Department of Municipalities and Transport, attended the signing.

Under the agreement, the two sides will assess feasibility, delivery and operating models for tunnels that could carry passengers or utilities. They will also look at Abu Dhabi’s potential as a regional hub for tunneling work. The current phase is exploratory, and no construction commitment or project budget has been announced.

“Abu Dhabi provides an ideal environment to explore the next generation of underground infrastructure solutions, supported by its ambitious growth vision and strong commitment to advanced technologies,”

Davis said. He added that the company wants to assess how tunnels can “expand urban capacity more efficiently, and enable better use of available space.”

The timing lines up with the money, considering last month, The Boring Company closed a $3 billion Series D led by the UAE and affiliated investors, valuing the company at $23 billion, as Teslarati reported. That round came with a commitment to build more than 150 kilometers of tunnel across the UAE, separate from the Dubai Loop pilot already under contract with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority. That pilot covers 6.4 kilometers and four stations linking DIFC and Dubai Mall at a cost of about $154 million.

Back home, The Boring Company projects in Nashville are also scaling up, with the company telling local NewsChannel 5 that a third Prufrock machine could start digging the Music City Loop in late October. A fourth is also targeted before the end of the year. Two machines are already mining Nashville limestone at the same time, and work is underway on a new launch site for the third.

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The company said it has made more than 300 design and performance upgrades to its original Nashville machine. It is also working with property owners on more than 40 planned stations, with approvals in place for a future Nashville International Airport connection, a downtown station near the Music City Center, and stops at residential towers and the JW Marriott.

Construction on the Music City Loop began the same evening Tennessee and federal regulators approved the project’s lease in February, and the company targeted its first operational segment for late 2026. Back in Las Vegas, The Boring Company has said it plans to double its Vegas Loop station count by year’s end.

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