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Elon Musk’s Boring Company proposes tunnel system leading to LA Dodgers Stadium
The Boring Company has unveiled a proposal to build a 3.6-mile tunnel system under Los Angeles designed to transport commuters to the Dodgers Stadium. Dubbed as the “Dugout Loop,” the tunneling startup’s project aims to transport people to the stadium in under 4 minutes.
The LA Dodgers Stadium is one of the city’s most prominent landmarks, where events such as games and concerts are held. The stadium in itself is massive, with a seating capacity of 56,000. Unfortunately for Los Angeles residents, getting to the Dodgers Stadium is nothing short of a traffic-inducing nightmare. During peak season, it is not rare to see vehicles being backed up for miles in seemingly unmoving traffic. This makes the travel time to the stadium, especially for commuters with their own cars, an unnecessarily long and aggravating affair.
This makes the LA Dugout Loop the perfect project for the Boring Company, a tunneling startup conceived by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk due to his experiences in traffic. The Boring Company is currently involved in several projects, the most prominent of which is the downtown Chicago-O’Hare high-speed transport system, which is expected to break ground as soon as its permits are completed. A test tunnel under SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne is also nearing completion.
The 3.6-mile Dugout Loop will begin at the Dodger Stadium property and run under Vin Scully Avenue and Sunset Boulevard. The Boring Company has not announced the starting point of the tunnel system, but there are currently three options being explored. All of these options — Vermont/Sunset, Vermont/Santa Monica or Vermont/Beverly — are selected specifically to be close to Metro Red Line stations.
The Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering (LABOE) has posted a document covering some of the finer details of Boring Company’s proposed project, including the design of the tunnels, how the electric pods in the Loop system will work, and the accessibility of the tunnels themselves. The document, which could be viewed in full here, notes that the Boring Company plans to use access shafts that would serve as tunnel access points for ventilation, emergency exit, and general access. These would be spaced approximately 0.5 miles apart, totaling about three to six locations located along the proposed Main Artery Tunnel alignment.
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- The Boring Company’s eastern terminus configuration for the Dugout Loop. [Credit: The Boring Company]
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- The Boring Company’s western terminus configuration for the Dugout Loop. [Credit: The Boring Company]
The transport pods would be stored in parking spaces, parking garages, or car racks at Loop Lift locations. Lastly, the LABOE document also mentioned that initially, commuters who wish to use the Dugout Loop would book timeslots online or on the phone in advance. Initial operations of the tunnel system would be limited to around 1,400 people, but depending on community feedback, the tunneling startup could increase ridership to about 2,800 people per event. The ability to purchase tickets for the Dugout Loop onsite is also on the table.
The Boring Company’s proposed tunnel to the Dodgers Stadium has gained the support of some of the city’s officials. In a statement to WIRED, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti described the project as a good example of the private and public sector working together.
“It’s a great example of public-private partnership. We always reimagine the future in Los Angeles. We’ve always looked for new ways to move around,” the LA mayor said.
Always exciting to see innovative ideas like the proposed Dugout Loop to @Dodgers Stadium that could help ease congestion on our roads and make our most iconic destinations more accessible to everyone. https://t.co/vleQtpUqnt
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) August 16, 2018
Dodgers CFO Tucker Kain also expressed his support for the project, stating that the team is always supportive of novel ways to get fans to games in a more comfortable manner.
“We were excited when the Boring Company came to us with this project. Whether it is flying overhead in an aerial transit system or bypassing traffic through an underground tunnel, we are always looking for innovative ways to make it easier for Dodgers fans to get to a game. We are committed to working with our neighbors and fans as the project moves forward,” Kain said in a statement to ABC7.
Construction of the proposed tunnel project is estimated to take about 14 months to complete. The tunneling startup is making its proposal for the Dugout Loop available for public review from August 16 to September 17. A hearing will also be held at the Dodgers Stadium on August 28.
Tesla has made two big interior changes to several Model Y vehicles in its lineup, and the changes come just as the new model year begins production.
Last year, Tesla launched the Model Y Standard, which separated the previous models into the “Premium” category. The Standard vehicles lack several features, including more premium interior materials, acoustic-lined glass, and storage.
@teslarati There are some BIG differences between the Tesla Model Y Standard and Tesla Model Y Premium #tesla #teslamodely ♬ Sia – Xeptemper
The Model Y “Premium” trims are now getting several new upgrades, which come after the company launched a seven-seat configuration of the vehicle last night in the North American market for an upcharge of $2,500.
The new Model Y seven-seat configuration did not come with just an additional row of seating; it also came with a slew of other goodies that now come standard and were previously only available on the Model Y Performance, which was launched late last year.
All Black Headliner
The new Tesla Model Y Premium trims will now come standard with a black headliner, something that many owners have been requesting for some time.
The previous grey headliner and trim within the vehicle is now gone; it will be all black on all of the Premium trims from here on out, a welcome change:
Credit: Tesla
Larger and Higher Resolution Center Touchscreen
The center touchscreen in the new Model Y Premium configuration is now larger and has a higher resolution than the previous version.
In last year’s Model Y configurations (apart from the Performance), the center touchscreen was 15.4″. Now, Tesla has decided to go with the 16″ version across all Premium trims, which is a nice step up. It was nice to see this in the Performance, but it is really great to see Tesla include this in the Model Y’s more Premium trim levels.
Tesla Model Y Seven Seater
Tesla launched the latest iteration of the seven-seater for the Model Y on Monday night. Traditionally, the Model Y seats five passengers in total, but there were calls for a more spacious version several years ago.
Tesla released it, but it was extremely tight in the back, basically reserving those back seats for only small people or children.
Credit: Tesla
The new configuration looks to be slightly more spacious in the third row, but not as much space as most would require or want. Instead,
Elon Musk
Lufthansa Group to equip Starlink on its 850-aircraft fleet
Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.
Lufthansa Group has announced a partnership with Starlink that will bring high-speed internet connectivity to every aircraft across all its carriers.
This means that aircraft across the group’s brands, from Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines to Brussels Airlines, would be able to enjoy high-speed internet access using the industry-leading satellite internet solution.
Starlink in-flight internet
Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.
Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites are expected to provide significantly higher bandwidth and lower latency than traditional in-flight Wi-Fi, which should enable streaming, online work, and other data-intensive applications for passengers during flights.
Starlink-powered internet is expected to be available on the first commercial flights as early as the second half of 2026. The rollout will continue through the decade, with the entire Lufthansa Group fleet scheduled to be fully equipped with Starlink by 2029. Once complete, no other European airline group will operate more Starlink-connected aircraft.
Free high-speed access
As part of the initiative, Lufthansa Group will offer the new high-speed internet free of charge to all status customers and Travel ID users, regardless of cabin class. Chief Commercial Officer Dieter Vranckx shared his expectations for the program.
“In our anniversary year, in which we are celebrating Lufthansa’s 100th birthday, we have decided to introduce a new high-speed internet solution from Starlink for all our airlines. The Lufthansa Group is taking the next step and setting an essential milestone for the premium travel experience of our customers.
“Connectivity on board plays an important role today, and with Starlink, we are not only investing in the best product on the market, but also in the satisfaction of our passengers,” Vranckx said.
Elon Musk
Tesla locks in Elon Musk’s top problem solver as it enters its most ambitious era
The generous equity award was disclosed by the electric vehicle maker in a recent regulatory filing.
Tesla has granted Senior Vice President of Automotive Tom Zhu more than 520,000 stock options, tying a significant portion of his compensation to the company’s long-term performance.
The generous equity award was disclosed by the electric vehicle maker in a recent regulatory filing.
Tesla secures top talent
According to a Form 4 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Tom Zhu received 520,021 stock options with an exercise price of $435.80 per share. Since the award will not fully vest until March 5, 2031, Zhu must remain at Tesla for more than five years to realize the award’s full benefit.
Considering that Tesla shares are currently trading at around the $445 to $450 per share level, Zhu will really only see gains in his equity award if Tesla’s stock price sees a notable rise over the years, as noted in a Sina Finance report.
Still, even at today’s prices, Zhu’s stock award is already worth over $230 million. If Tesla reaches the market cap targets set forth in Elon Musk’s 2025 CEO Performance Award, Zhu would become a billionaire from this equity award alone.
Tesla’s problem solver
Zhu joined Tesla in April 2014 and initially led the company’s Supercharger rollout in China. Later that year, he assumed the leadership of Tesla’s China business, where he played a central role in Tesla’s localization efforts, including expanding retail and service networks, and later, overseeing the development of Gigafactory Shanghai.
Zhu’s efforts helped transform China into one of Tesla’s most important markets and production hubs. In 2023, Tesla promoted Zhu to Senior Vice President of Automotive, placing him among the company’s core global executives and expanding his influence beyond China. He has since garnered a reputation as the company’s problem solver, being tapped by Elon Musk to help ramp Giga Texas’s vehicle production.
With this in mind, Tesla’s recent filing seems to suggest that the company is locking in its top talent as it enters its newest, most ambitious era to date. As could be seen in the targets of Elon Musk’s 2025 pay package, Tesla is now aiming to be the world’s largest company by market cap, and it is aiming to achieve production levels that are unheard of. Zhu’s talents would definitely be of use in this stage of the company’s growth.
Tesla makes two big interior changes to several Model Y vehicles
Lufthansa Group to equip Starlink on its 850-aircraft fleet
