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Key takeaways from Elon Musk’s Boring Company information session
Elon Musk provided a number of insights about The Boring Company’s Los Angeles tunneling initiatives in an information session held Thursday night at the Leo Baeck Temple. The event was led by Elon Musk and SpaceX Director Steve Davis, who was listed in the company’s recent SEC filing. Here are the key takeaways from information session.
- The Boring Co.’s tunnel boring machines are all-electric, making them 3x as powerful than conventional tunnel boring machines. Tesla batteries are used to power the machines, which eliminates the need for cabling.
- The Boring Company is aiming to drill and lay tunnel walls simultaneously while excavating dirt from the tunnel using battery-electric locomotives, which are equipped with two Model 3 motors.
- Musk and Davis also discussed the Boring Bricks, interlocking bricks made from tunneling rock. Musk noted that the Boring Bricks, which could be used for affordable housing, are better than cinder blocks. Egyptian model kits, featuring designs like the Temple of Horus, will also be sold.
The Boring Company’s bricks. [Credit: The Boring Co.]
- The Urban Loop transit — electric pods that are designed for commuters — will cost $1 per ticket. The speed of the Urban Loop will be 150 mph, and will enable travel from downtown Los Angeles to LAX airport in 8 minutes. Each pod can carry a maximum of 16 people.
- The Boring Co. tunnels will support Hyperloop technology as well. Just like the Urban Loop’s pods, Hyperloop pods will carry a maximum of 16 people. Hyperloop pods, however, will be much faster, traveling at 700 mph.
- The proof-of-concept tunnel under Sepulveda Blvd. in LA will not be used for public transportation. There will be no street closures, nor any tunneling beneath any homes or businesses. Residents won’t “see, feel, or hear” any of the startup’s activities. Utility lines will be untouched by the project as well.
Transit stations with all-electric pedestrian pods envisioned by The Boring Company
- The Boring Company will be working closely with LA Metro. Musk stated that overall, “we want to connect with and supplement transport systems” that are already in place.
- Rocket technology is being used to develop and build the Boring Co.’s tunnels, considering that a number of SpaceX engineers are working on the tunneling startup’s projects.
- Line-Storm, the company’s second tunnel boring machine, features improvements over Godot, its first TBM. According to Musk, Godot is a conventional tunnel boring machine. Line-Storm, however, is “essentially a hybrid between conventional boring machine and the Proof-Rock, which is the fully Boring Company-designed machine.” Proof-Rock will be 10-15x faster than current TBMs. Line-storm will be at least 2x faster than a conventional boring machine.
- The Boring Company will do a full Environmental Impact Report. Musk noted that the company does not “expect any issues with the EIR.” Musk, stated, however, that the EIR will likely take some time to do.
- Elon Musk teased a party before the proof-of-concept tunnel’s launch.
The Boring Company came to fruition as Elon Musk’s way of alleviating the “soul-destroying” traffic that is prevalent in America’s streets. Just before the livestream, Elon Musk and LA Metro announced that the Boring Co.’s proof-of-concept tunneling project will be going ahead as planned. A statement from LA Metro reads as follows.
“Metro leadership and CEO Phil Washington had a great meeting today with the talented staff of the Boring Company. They will coordinate with us as they move ahead with their proof-of-concept tunnel under Sepulveda Boulevard to ensure it doesn’t interfere with our Sepulveda Transit Corridor rail project. We’ll be partners moving forward.”
Watch the Boring Company’s information session in the video below.
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News
Tesla FSD V14.2.1 is earning rave reviews from users in diverse conditions
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software continues its rapid evolution, with the latest V14.2.1 update drawing widespread praise.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software continues its rapid evolution, with the latest V14.2.1 update drawing widespread praise for its smoother performance and smarter decision-making.
Videos and firsthand accounts from Tesla owners highlight V14.2.1 as an update that improves navigation responsiveness, sign recognition, and overall fluidity, among other things. Some drivers have even described it as “more alive than ever,” hinting at the system eventually feeling “sentient,” as Elon Musk has predicted.
FSD V14.2.1 first impressions
Early adopters are buzzing about how V14.2.1 feels less intrusive while staying vigilant. In a post shared on X, Tesla owner @LactoseLunatic described the update as a “huge leap forward,” adding that the system remains “incredibly assertive but still safe.”
Another Tesla driver, Devin Olsenn, who logged ~600 km on V14.2.1, reported no safety disengagements, with the car feeling “more alive than ever.” The Tesla owner noted that his wife now defaults to using FSD V14, as the system is already very smooth and refined.
Adverse weather and regulatory zones are testing grounds where V14.2.1 shines, at least according to testers in snow areas. Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt shared a video of his first snowy drive on unplowed rural roads in New Hampshire, where FSD did great and erred on the side of caution. As per Merritt, FSD V14.2.1 was “extra cautious” but it performed well overall.
-->Sign recognition and freeway prowess
Sign recognition also seemed to show improvements with FSD V14.2.1. Longtime FSD tester Chuck Cook highlighted a clip from his upcoming first-impressions video, showcasing improved school zone behavior. “I think it read the signs better,” he observed, though in standard mode, it didn’t fully drop to 15 mph within the short timeframe. This nuance points to V14.2.1’s growing awareness of temporal rules, a step toward fewer false positives in dynamic environments.
FSD V14.2.1 also seems to excel in high-stress highway scenarios. Fellow FSD tester @BLKMDL3 posted a video of FSD V14.2.1 managing a multi-lane freeway closure due to a police chase-related accident. “Perfectly handles all lanes of the freeway merging into one,” the Tesla owner noted in his post on X.
FSD V14.2.1 was released on Thanksgiving, much to the pleasant surprise of Tesla owners. The update’s release notes are almost identical to the system’s previous iteration, save for one line item read, “Camera visibility can lead to increased attention monitoring sensitivity.”
News
Tesla FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe begin in Italy, France, and Germany
The program allows the public to hop in as a non-driving observer to witness FSD navigate urban streets firsthand.
Tesla has kicked off passenger ride-alongs for Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in Italy, France and Germany. The program allows the public to hop in as a non-driving observer to witness FSD navigate urban streets firsthand.
The program, detailed on Tesla’s event pages, arrives ahead of a potential early 2026 Dutch regulatory approval that could unlock a potential EU-wide rollout for FSD.
Hands-Off Demos
Tesla’s ride-along invites participants to “ride along in the passenger seat to experience how it handles real-world traffic & the most stressful parts of daily driving, making the roads safer for all,” as per the company’s announcement on X through its official Tesla Europe & Middle East account.
Sign-ups via localized pages offer free slots through December, with Tesla teams piloting vehicles through city streets, roundabouts and highways.
“Be one of the first to experience Full Self-Driving (Supervised) from the passenger seat. Our team will take you along as a passenger and show you how Full Self-Driving (Supervised) works under real-world road conditions,” Tesla wrote. “Discover how it reacts to live traffic and masters the most stressful parts of driving to make the roads safer for you and others. Come join us to learn how we are moving closer to a fully autonomous future.”
-->Building trust towards an FSD Unsupervised rollout
Tesla’s FSD (Supervised) ride-alongs could be an effective tool to build trust and get regular car buyers and commuters used to the idea of vehicles driving themselves. By seating riders shotgun, Tesla could provide participants with a front row seat to the bleeding edge of consumer-grade driverless systems.
FSD (Supervised) has already been rolled out to several countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and partially in China. So far, FSD (Supervised) has been received positively by drivers, as it really makes driving tasks and long trips significantly easier and more pleasant.
FSD is a key safety feature as well, which became all too evident when a Tesla driving on FSD was hit by what seemed to be a meteorite in Australia. The vehicle moved safely despite the impact, though the same would likely not be true had the car been driven manually.
News
Swedish union rep pissed that Tesla is working around a postal blockade they started
Tesla Sweden is now using dozens of private residences as a way to obtain license plates for its vehicles.
Two years into their postal blockade, Swedish unions are outraged that Tesla is still able to provide its customers’ vehicles with valid plates through various clever workarounds.
Seko chairman Gabriella Lavecchia called it “embarrassing” that the world’s largest EV maker, owned by CEO Elon Musk, refuses to simply roll over and accept the unions’ demands.
Unions shocked Tesla won’t just roll over and surrender
The postal unions’ blockade began in November 2023 when Seko and IF Metall-linked unions stopped all mail to Tesla sites to force a collective agreement. License plates for Tesla vehicles instantly became the perfect pressure point, as noted in a Dagens Arbete report.
Tesla responded by implementing initiatives to work around the blockades. A recent investigation from Arbetet revealed that Tesla Sweden is now using dozens of private residences, including one employee’s parents’ house in Trångsund and a customer-relations staffer’s home in Vårby, as a way to obtain license plates for its vehicles.
Seko chairman Gabriella Lavecchia is not pleased that Tesla Sweden is working around the unions’ efforts yet again. “It is embarrassing that one of the world’s largest car companies, owned by one of the world’s richest people, has sunk this low,” she told the outlet. “Unfortunately, it is completely frivolous that such a large company conducts business in this way.”
-->Two years on and plates are still being received
The Swedish Transport Agency has confirmed Tesla is still using several different workarounds to overcome the unions’ blockades.
As noted by DA, Tesla Sweden previously used different addresses to receive its license plates. At one point, the electric vehicle maker used addresses for car care shops. Tesla Sweden reportedly used this strategy in Östermalm in Stockholm, as well as in Norrköping and Gothenburg.
Another strategy that Tesla Sweden reportedly implemented involved replacement plates being ordered by private individuals when vehicles change hands from Tesla to car buyers. There have also been cases where the police have reportedly issued temporary plates to Tesla vehicles.
Tesla FSD V14.2.1 is earning rave reviews from users in diverse conditions
Tesla FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe begin in Italy, France, and Germany
