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NYC subway closure canceled, Elon Musk’s Boring Company tapped for ideas to improve other systems

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The Governor of New York State, Andrew Cuomo, announced on Thursday evening that the current plan to shut down the 225,000 commuter-strong L-train tunnel in the New York City public transportation system for a 15-month-long repair process will no longer be necessary due to a plan implementing new reconstruction techniques. After consulting with a panel of expert engineers from Columbia and Cornell Universities, a new design was proposed to be used in the tunnel which would streamline the repair process and require closures during nights and weekends with partial train tunnel service still available. When asked in a conference call Friday whether other innovators such as Elon Musk of Tesla and The Boring Company were consulted, the governor said Musk had not advised on this specific issue, but was consulted on improvements to the subway’s signaling system. The Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA), New York’s transportation network, accepted the Governor’s panel recommendations following the announcement.

The L train tunnel under the East River connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York, known as the Canarsie Tunnel, was damaged during Hurricane Sandy, the Category 3 major hurricane which affected the entire eastern seaboard of the United States in 2012. Its storm surge hit NYC on October 29, flooding huge portions of the island, including 9 of the 14 underwater tunnels in the city’s transport system. Of these, 6 have already been repaired. According to the MTA, the damage to the Canarsie Tunnel is comparable to tunnel damage experienced on 9/11, underlining the extent of the repairs needed and the reason behind the original required shutdown.

Saltwater flooding in from the East River during Sandy significantly damaged the infrastructure of the 7,100-foot-long tunnel, including tracks, signals, switches, cables, and lighting. The flood waters additionally filled protected cable tube pathways called “duct banks” throughout the tunnel, and once dry, the silt hardened to a cement-like consistency inside them, making it impossible to rip out and restore the damaged components. Canarsie Tunnel also opened in 1924, adding age to the brewing number of problems being amplified by the lingering effects of corrosive saltwater remnants from Sandy.

In 2016, residents were informed the tunnel was possibly going to be shut down for 15 months to address the extensive repairs, causing significant commute challenges for the approximately 225,000 riders depending on the service. The date for service closure was scheduled to begin April 27, 2019, but the impending deadline motivated Governor Cuomo to seek out alternative solutions. “I can’t tell you the number of people in Brooklyn who have looked me right in the eye and said, ‘Are you sure that there is nothing else that can be done and there’s no way you can possibly shorten this?’,” Cuomo stated in a recent press conference announcing the new subway repair plan.

The repair announcement was the end result of a review process Governor Cuomo began on December 14, 2018, wherein he and a consulting team walked through the damaged tunnel to assess the repairs needed first hand. While the plan will take longer than the original project’s timeline – 20 months instead of 15 – the ability to remain open during the repairs is a welcome relief for city residents. The technology that will enable the tunnel to remain open includes wire wrapping along with ultrasound and laser measurement (LIDAR) tools to assess and monitor damage. Engineers from Cornell University’s College of Engineering and Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science with expertise in the type of construction involved were the primary sources for the solutions chosen.

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Similar to the innovations that came from Musk’s Boring Company tunneling project, the governor has hopes that the unique system planned for the Canarsie Tunnel will inspire other similar repair projects. “This could be a national model because it is a totally different way to reconstruct a tunnel,” Governor Cuomo touted at the press conference. Also, according to the governor, the techniques in the new plan have been implemented in projects in Europe before for bridge repair, but not in tunnel reconstruction. He hopes to bring more out-of-the-box innovations to the city’s transportation as well. In reference to Elon Musk’s companies, he said, “I don’t believe a time where they’re talking about flying cars and you can get into a car and drive 100 miles on the LIE and never touch the steering wheel, that there’s not a better technology that can regulate the trains!”

For more about the announcement and repair plan, watch Governor Cuomo’s press conference below:

 

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Accidental computer geek, fascinated by most history and the multiplanetary future on its way. Quite keen on the democratization of space. | It's pronounced day-sha, but I answer to almost any variation thereof.

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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.

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UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

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.

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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.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/Twitter

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.

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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.

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Credit: Tesla Europe & Middle East/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.

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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. 

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