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Key takeaways from Elon Musk’s Boring Company information session

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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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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 AI5 chip nears completion, Elon Musk teases 9-month development cadence

The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chip is nearly complete, and work on its successor is already underway, as per a recent update from Elon Musk. 

The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.

Musk details AI chip roadmap

In his post, Elon Musk stated that Tesla’s AI5 chip design is “almost done,” while AI6 has already entered early development. Musk added that Tesla plans to continue iterating rapidly, with AI7, AI8, AI9, and future generations targeting a nine-month design cycle. 

He also noted that Tesla’s in-house chips could become the highest-volume AI processors in the world. Musk framed his update as a recruiting message, encouraging engineers to join Tesla’s AI and chip development teams.

Tesla community member Herbert Ong highlighted the strategic importance of the timeline, noting that faster chip cycles enable quicker learning, faster iteration, and a compounding advantage in AI and autonomy that becomes increasingly difficult for competitors to close.

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AI5 manufacturing takes shape

Musk’s comments align with earlier reporting on AI5’s production plans. In December, it was reported that Samsung is preparing to manufacture Tesla’s AI5 chip, accelerating hiring for experienced engineers to support U.S. production and address complex foundry challenges.

Samsung is one of two suppliers selected for AI5, alongside TSMC. The companies are expected to produce different versions of the AI5 chip, with TSMC reportedly using a 3nm process and Samsung using a 2nm process.

Musk has previously stated that while different foundries translate chip designs into physical silicon in different ways, the goal is for both versions of the Tesla AI5 chip to operate identically. AI5 will succeed Tesla’s current AI4 hardware, formerly known as Hardware 4, and is expected to support the company’s Full Self-Driving system as well as other AI-driven efforts, including Optimus.

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Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025

According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.

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Credit: ANCAP

The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.

According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.

The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring. 

This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.

The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.  

ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.

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“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.

“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.

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Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade

Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.

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Credit: Tesla Charging/X

Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.

Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.

Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error. 

More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report. 

Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.

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Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.

Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.

“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted. 

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