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The Boring Company's first Las Vegas tunnel is poised for February completion

Credit: Mark Damon/Las Vegas News Bureau

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The Boring Company’s transport tunnel project in Las Vegas appears to be progressing very well, with recent reports indicating that the startup’s tunnel boring machine (TBM) has drilled 2,900 feet to date. With this progress in mind, Elon Musk’s tunneling company may very well complete the first of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s two transport tunnels by the end of February 2020. 

Just over three weeks ago, reports from the Las Vegas Review-Journal indicated that the Boring Company’s TBM has already dug about 1,900 feet of the project’s first 4,300-foot-long tunnel. Today, a report from News 3 Las Vegas revealed that the drilling machine had drilled 2,900 feet. It might not be evident on ground level, but Elon Musk’s tunneling machine is currently working right under Paradise Road.

Aboveground, work in the LVCC complex is also continuing, with the expansion and renovation of the convention center fully underway. Lori Nelson-Kraft, the senior vice president of communications and government affairs for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, noted in a statement to the publication that they are pleased with the progress of the work in the complex, aboveground and underground. 

“We’ve really been pleased with the progress. Everything’s remained on track timeline-wise,” Nelson-Kraft said. 

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The Las Vegas Convention Center complex is undergoing a massive expansion and renovation quickly, with the goal of completing some key projects, such as The Boring Company’s Loop system, by the time CES 2021 begins next year. If Elon Musk’s tunneling startup can finish its first tunnel by February, then there is a good chance that the Boring Company can have a working passenger transport system on time for the upcoming high-profile tech event. 

Transport tunnels may not be a new concept, but The Boring Company is aiming to introduce a few clever innovations to the digging process. The company’s tunnels are smaller than conventional tunnels, for example, which make them far quicker to complete. The startup is also adopting a system wherein a tunnel’s liners are laid simultaneously as the TBM is drilling. Once the tunnel is complete, workers can then pave the floor, allowing the Teslas intended to be used for the system to provide a smooth ride to passengers. 

Steve Hill, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, is optimistic about the Boring Company’s projects in the LVCC complex. If the two transport tunnels are successful, Hill noted that the system might be expanded to reach other areas, including the airport, Allegiant Stadium, and perhaps even some suburbs. 

“We would like to connect all of Southern Nevada with the system over time. It’d be a great thing to bring people in-and-out of the resort corridor to work in a more efficient, easier, quicker way. That would also help reduce congestion on the Strip as well as help everybody in the community that works on the Strip,” he said.

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H/T Armand Vervaeck

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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Cybertruck

Tesla’s new Cybertruck has delivery date pushed back once again

According to Tesla’s Online Design Studio, the new All-Wheel-Drive Cybertruck will now be delivered in April 2027. Earlier orders are still slated for early this Summer, but orders from here on forward are now officially pushed into next year:

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla’s new Cybertruck offering has had its delivery date pushed back once again. This is now the second time, and deliveries for the newest orders are now pushed well into 2027.

According to Tesla’s Online Design Studio, the new All-Wheel-Drive Cybertruck will now be delivered in April 2027. Earlier orders are still slated for early this Summer, but orders from here on forward are now officially pushed into next year:

Just three days ago, the initial delivery date of June 2026 was pushed back to early Fall, and now, that date has officially moved to April 2027.

The fact that Tesla has had to push back deliveries once again proves one of two things: either Tesla has slow production plans for the new Cybertruck trim, or demand is off the charts.

Judging by how Tesla is already planning to raise the price based on demand in just a few days, it seems like the company knows it is giving a tremendous deal on this spec of Cybertruck, and units are moving quickly.

That points more toward demand and not necessarily to slower production plans, but it is not confirmed.

Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim will undergo massive change in ten days, Musk says

Tesla is set to hike the price on March 1, so tomorrow will be the final day to grab the new Cybertruck trim for just $59,990.

It features:

  • Dual Motor AWD w/ est. 325 mi of range
  • Powered tonneau cover
  • Bed outlets (2x 120V + 1x 240V) & Powershare capability
  • Coil springs w/ adaptive damping
  • Heated first-row seats w/ textile material that is easy to clean
  • Steer-by-wire & Four Wheel Steering
  • 6’ x 4’ composite bed
  • Towing capacity of up to 7,500 lbs
  • Powered frunk

Interestingly, the price offering is fairly close to what Tesla unveiled back in late 2019.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk outlines plan for first Starship tower catch attempt

Musk confirmed that Starship V3 Ship 1 (SN1) is headed for ground tests and expressed strong confidence in the updated vehicle design.

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Credit: SpaceX/X

Elon Musk has clarified when SpaceX will first attempt to catch Starship’s upper stage with its launch tower. The CEO’s update provides the clearest teaser yet for the spacecraft’s recovery roadmap.

Musk shared the details in recent posts on X. In his initial post, Musk confirmed that Starship V3 Ship 1 (SN1) is headed for ground tests and expressed strong confidence in the updated vehicle design.

“Starship V3 SN1 headed for ground tests. I am highly confident that the V3 design will achieve full reusability,” Musk wrote.

In a follow-up post, Musk addressed when SpaceX would attempt to catch the upper stage using the launch tower’s robotic arms. 

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“Should note that SpaceX will only try to catch the ship with the tower after two perfect soft landings in the ocean. The risk of the ship breaking up over land needs to be very low,” Musk clarified. 

His remarks suggest that SpaceX is deliberately reducing risk before attempting a tower catch of Starship’s upper stage. Such a milestone would mark a major step towards the full reuse of the Starship system.

SpaceX is currently targeting the first Starship V3 flight of 2026 this coming March. The spacecraft’s V3 iteration is widely viewed as a key milestone in SpaceX’s long-term strategy to make Starship fully reusable. 

Starship V3 features a number of key upgrades over its previous iterations. The vehicle is equipped with SpaceX’s Raptor V3 engines, which are designed to deliver significantly higher thrust than earlier versions while reducing cost and weight. 

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The V3 design is also expected to be optimized for manufacturability, a critical step if SpaceX intends to scale the spacecraft’s production toward frequent launches for Starlink, lunar missions, and eventually Mars. 

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Tesla FSD (Supervised) could be approved in the Netherlands next month: Musk

Musk shared the update during a recent interview at Giga Berlin.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared that Full Self-Driving (FSD) could receive regulatory approval in the Netherlands as soon as March 20, potentially marking a major step forward for Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance rollout in Europe.

Musk shared the update during a recent interview at Giga Berlin, noting that the date was provided by local authorities.

“Tesla has the most advanced real-world AI, and hopefully, it will be approved soon in Europe. We’re told by the authorities that March 20th, it’ll be approved in the Netherlands,’ what I was told,” Musk stated. 

“Hopefully, that date remains the same. But I think people in Europe are going to be pretty blown away by how good the Tesla car AI is in being able to drive.”

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Tesla’s FSD system relies on vision-based neural networks trained on real-world driving data, allowing vehicles to navigate using cameras and AI rather than traditional sensor-heavy solutions. 

The performance of FSD Supervised has so far been impressive. As per Tesla’s safety report, Full Self-Driving Supervised has already traveled 8.3 billion miles. So far, vehicles operating with FSD Supervised engaged recorded one major collision every 5,300,676 miles. 

In comparison, Teslas driven manually with Active Safety systems recorded one major collision every 2,175,763 miles, while Teslas driven manually without Active Safety recorded one major collision every 855,132 miles. The U.S. average during the same period was one major collision every 660,164 miles.

If approval is granted on March 20, the Netherlands could become the first European market to greenlight Tesla’s latest supervised FSD (Supervised) software under updated regulatory frameworks. Tesla has been working to secure expanded FSD access across Europe, where regulatory standards differ significantly from those in the United States. Approval in the Netherlands would likely serve as a foundation for broader EU adoption, though additional country-level clearances may still be required.

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