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Tesla Model 3 zips through Boring Co. tunnel at 116 mph in latest video

The Boring Company's latest innovations on display in test ride video. | Image: Steve Jurvetson/YouTube

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The Boring Company has been busy refining its tunnel technology since unveiling it last December, and a new video shared by venture capitalist and Tesla board member Steve Jurvetson has provided the best encapsulation of the experience yet.

In the video, a Boring Company team member is first seen transporting Jurvetson and another passenger in a Tesla Model 3 onto the system’s elevator entrance while discussing driver options during the journey. “We usually offer a slower ride on Autopilot or a fast ride [with] manual driving,” the driver explained. The group then sped through the tunnel, reaching a maximum 116 mph while crossing the underground distance from the corner of Prairie & 120th Street to the corner of Crenshaw & Rocket Rd in Hawthorne, CA. Total travel time between each of the the tunnel ends was about one minute.

The Model 3 driver also revealed upcoming self-driving options for future Boring tunnel transits. “Right now Autopilot goes up to 90 [mph], and we’re increasing it to 125,” he detailed. The group traveled using the manual driving option in the video, however. Alongside updates to driving options available, a button labeled “Request Departure” was added to initiate the tunnel journey via the all-electric midsize sedan’s touchscreen, and route information was displayed while underground.

Note: The original video referenced was removed from YouTube shortly after this article was published. Another version was uploaded to Twitter and is posted below.

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https://twitter.com/tesla_truth/status/1142235000554676224?s=21

As seen in the last Boring update posted in May, the Model 3 in the travel demo was not using the vehicle skates present during the company’s opening party. The traffic-busting tunnel now appears to have a much smoother ride thanks to this change, something Boring Company founder Elon Musk previously explained as, “simple and just works.” This change and other subtle additions and modifications demonstrate both Musk’s and the company’s desire to continuously innovate their technology.

The Boring Company was created as a two-fold answer to frustrating traffic situations. First, it’s an alternative travel route that avoids above-ground congestion; and second, it lowers the cost of tunnel boring technology overall by using new design and engineering approaches to old digging machines. The venture’s one-mile demo tunnel was built for about $10 million dollars as compared to the $500-$1 billion dollars it traditionally costs to dig a tunnel of the same length. Notably, Jurvetson simultaneously shared a few photos of the tunnel boring machine being used for the company’s current projects with his video.

The Boring Company’s latest innovations on display in test ride video. Tunnel route info now available.| Image: Steve Jurvetson/YouTube

The short Hawthorne-based test tunnel isn’t the only transit project Musk’s underground venture has on its manifest. Last month, board members of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority approved a Boring Company contract to build two tunnels to transport passengers between locations under their convention center. Additionally, an environmental assessment was recently completed for a Boring-built tunnel between Washington DC and Baltimore, Maryland that will enable 15-minute trips between the two destinations. If approved, Hyperloop technology may also be compatible with the system, introducing travel speeds of over 600 mph.

Overall, The Boring Company continues its growth into yet another industry disruption that challenges the status quo. Smoother rides are definitely a step in the right direction, and Autopilot integration seems like a natural fit considering Tesla’s push towards autonomy and long-term vision.

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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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Tesla adds a new feature to Navigation in preparation for a new vehicle

After CEO Elon Musk announced earlier this week that the Semi’s mass production processes were scheduled for later this year, the company has been making various preparations as it nears manufacturing.

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Credit: Uber

Tesla has added a new feature to its Navigation and Supercharger Map in preparation for a new vehicle to hit the road: the Semi.

After CEO Elon Musk announced earlier this week that the Semi’s mass production processes were scheduled for later this year, the company has been making various preparations as it nears manufacturing.

Elon Musk confirms Tesla Semi will enter high-volume production this year

One of those changes has been the newly-released information regarding trim levels, as well as reports that Tesla has started to reach out to customers regarding pricing information for those trims.

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Now, Tesla has made an additional bit of information available to the public in the form of locations of Megachargers, the infrastructure that will be responsible for charging the Semi and other all-electric Class 8 vehicles that hit the road.

Tesla made the announcement on the social media platform X:

Although it is a minor development, it is a major indication that Tesla is preparing for the Semi to head toward mass production, something the company has been hinting at for several years.

Nevertheless, this, along with the other information that was released this week, points toward a significant stride in Tesla’s progress in the Semi project.

Now that the company has also worked toward completion of the dedicated manufacturing plant in Sparks, Nevada, there are more signs than ever that the vehicle is finally ready to be built and delivered to customers outside of the pilot program that has been in operation for several years.

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For now, the Megachargers are going to be situated on the West Coast, with a heavy emphasis on routes like I-5 and I-10. This strategy prioritizes major highways and logistics hubs where freight traffic is heaviest, ensuring coverage for both cross-country and regional hauls.

California and Texas are slated to have the most initially, with 17 and 19 sites, respectively. As the program continues to grow, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Washington, New York, and Nevada will have Megacharger locations as well.

For now, the Megachargers are available in Lathrop, California, and Sparks, Nevada, both of which have ties to Tesla. The former is the location of the Megafactory, and Sparks is where both the Tesla Gigafactory and Semifactory are located.

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Tesla stock gets latest synopsis from Jim Cramer: ‘It’s actually a robotics company’

“Turns out it’s actually a robotics and Cybercab company, and I want to buy, buy, buy. Yes, Tesla’s the paper that turned into scissors in one session,” Cramer said.

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Credit: Tesla Optimus/X

Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) got its latest synopsis from Wall Street analyst Jim Cramer, who finally realized something that many fans of the company have known all along: it’s not a car company. Instead, it’s a robotics company.

In a recent note that was released after Tesla reported Earnings in late January, Cramer seemed to recognize that the underwhelming financials and overall performance of the automotive division were not representative of the current state of affairs.

Instead, we’re seeing a company transition itself away from its early identity, essentially evolving like a caterpillar into a butterfly.

The narrative of the Earnings Call was simple: We’re not a car company, at least not from a birds-eye view. We’re an AI and Robotics company, and we are transitioning to this quicker than most people realize.

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Tesla stock gets another analysis from Jim Cramer, and investors will like it

Tesla’s Q4 Earnings Call featured plenty of analysis from CEO Elon Musk and others, and some of the more minor details of the call were even indicative of a company that is moving toward AI instead of its cars. For example, the Model S and Model X will be no more after Q2, as Musk said that they serve relatively no purpose for the future.

Instead, Tesla is shifting its focus to the vehicles catered for autonomy and its Robotaxi and self-driving efforts.

Cramer recognizes this:

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“…we got results from Tesla, which actually beat numbers, but nobody cares about the numbers here, as electric vehicles are the past. And according to CEO Elon Musk, the future of this company comes down to Cybercabs and humanoid robots. Stock fell more than 3% the next day. That may be because their capital expenditures budget was higher than expected, or maybe people wanted more details from the new businesses. At this point, I think Musk acolytes might be more excited about SpaceX, which is planning to come public later this year.”

He continued, highlighting the company’s true transition away from vehicles to its Cybercab, Optimus, and AI ambitions:

“I know it’s hard to believe how quickly this market can change its attitude. Last night, I heard a disastrous car company speak. Turns out it’s actually a robotics and Cybercab company, and I want to buy, buy, buy. Yes, Tesla’s the paper that turned into scissors in one session. I didn’t like it as a car company. Boy, I love it as a Cybercab and humanoid robot juggernaut. Call me a buyer and give me five robots while I’m at it.”

Cramer’s narrative seems to fit that of the most bullish Tesla investors. Anyone who is labeled a “permabull” has been echoing a similar sentiment over the past several years: Tesla is not a car company any longer.

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Instead, the true focus is on the future and the potential that AI and Robotics bring to the company. It is truly difficult to put Tesla shares in the same group as companies like Ford, General Motors, and others.

Tesla shares are down less than half a percent at the time of publishing, trading at $423.69.

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SpaceX secures win as US labor board drops oversight case

The NLRB confirmed that it no longer has jurisdiction over SpaceX.

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Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX scored a legal victory after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decided to dismiss a case which accused the company of terminating engineers who were involved in an open letter against founder Elon Musk. 

The NLRB confirmed that it no longer has jurisdiction over SpaceX. The update was initially shared by Bloomberg News, which cited a letter about the matter it reportedly reviewed.

In a letter to the former employees’ lawyers, the labor board stated that the affected employees were under the jurisdiction of the National Mediation Board (NMB), not the NLRB. As a result, the labor board stated that it was dismissing the case.

As per Danielle Pierce, a regional director of the agency, “the National Labor Relations Board lacks jurisdiction over the Employer and, therefore, I am dismissing your charge.”

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The NMB typically oversees airlines and railroads. The NLRB, on the other hand, covers most private-sector employers, as well as manufacturers such as Boeing. 

The former SpaceX engineers have argued that the private space company did not belong under the NMB’s jurisdiction because SpaceX only offers services to “hand-picked customers.” 

In an opinion, however, the NMB stated that SpaceX was under its jurisdiction because “space transport includes air travel” to get to outer space. The mediation board also noted that anyone can contact SpaceX to secure its services.

SpaceX had previously challenged the NLRB’s authority in court, arguing that the agency’s structure was unconstitutional. Jennifer Abruzzo, the NLRB general counsel under former United States President Joe Biden, rejected SpaceX’s claims. Following Abruzzo’s termination under the Trump administration, however, SpaceX asked the labor board to reconsider its arguments. 

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SpaceX is not the only company that has challenged the constitutionality of the NLRB. Since SpaceX filed its legal challenge against the agency in 2024, other high-profile companies have followed suit. These include Amazon, which has filed similar cases that are now pending.

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