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Musk: Hyperloop Tunnel Is Now a Normal Tunnel – ‘This Is Simple and Just Works’

30 points by ilarum 7y ago

Tiktaalik 7y ago
> To recap: Musk’s company spent two years developing a very narrow car tunnel. To anyone who ever believed Elon Musk’s bullshit: you’ve been had. TSLA investors take note.
- sunstone 7y ago
  Clearly different tunnel implementations are appropriate for different situations. If you're going from LA to Las Vegas you'll do it differently than if you need to go a dozen city blocks. The practicality of the hyperloop has by now been demonstrated in various places. What's being demonstrated here is the entrance and exit technologies that go with the hyperloop. SpaceX investors take note.
  - rohit2412 7y ago
    TBC is not building hyperloop. There is no vaccuum tunnel with maglev/air-cushion propulsion. This is just a tunnel. Not even the planned sled from before. A tunnel for just Teslas.
  - imtringued 7y ago
    Where did you get that crazy idea? Hyperloop has lost to maglev. Trains that go 372mph already exist in Japan and China. The hard part is to deploy the technology as part of the rail network. Meanwhile Hyperloop companies are just trying to fleece dumb money with fake prototypes.
- vain 7y ago
  Thunderf00t had me convinced years ago. Cheap tunnel debunked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ezF7NmwQZs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ezF7NmwQZs Hyperloop debunked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNFesa01llk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNFesa01llk
Traster 7y ago
It seems to me that there were two technical details of TBC. One was "We can build a tunnel cheaply". That seems as far as I can see to have been entirely down to digging smaller tunnels- which doesn't seem like innovation to me, especially since some of the cost saved is by not building the escape tunnels that traditionally are built for safety not capacity. The second detail was "These tunnels will be fitted in a way that allows super-efficient transportation". That seems to have entirely disappeared. I would really hope to see some evidence of their efficiency of digging tunnels being legitimately better than traditional methods now. Otherwise you've got to fear that this all ends in a dozen people dying in a tunnel because the safety precautions weren't sufficient.
- ComputerGuru 7y ago
  The first benefit was directly as a result of the second. It was the hyperloop concept that afforded the option of a smaller diameter tunnel; switching to a more traditional transportation method would mean concessions all around if you want to still stick to the smaller diameter.
anoncake 7y ago
> This is simple and just works Who is that guy and what has he done to Elon Musk?
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
amluto 7y ago
There is at least one real, operational tunnel with few side exits and electric car sleds: the Chunnel!
- Someone 7y ago
  The channel tunnel actually are three tunnels: two train tunnels with a service tunnel in-between. The train tunnels are connected to the service tunnel at every 375m (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Tunnel#Tunnelling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Tunnel#Tunnelling) So, there are no exits to the surface, but there are ways to get out of each of the tunnels. I would guess this kind of construct would make Musk’s design at least 50% more expensive per kilometer (in Musk’s design, a service tunnel can’t be less wide than the real ones. You could make a setup where tunnels can serve as service tunnels when needed, but even than, you need to build all those connections between the tunnels)
chrisfinne 7y ago
What? An entrepreneur shot for the moon but didn't make it on the first try? Burn him at the stake for trying.
- abc_lisper 7y ago
  The ass on my armchair deserves everything it was promised(for nothing).
anotheryou 7y ago
what would be the benefit to put a tesla on what's basically also a tesla? and the autopilot should be able to navigate the known narrow tunnel, no?
- thatannoyingguy 7y ago
  Having the car on a sled means no wear on the tyres. Furthermore the sled is specifically designed for the rails and acts as a guide for the car, which is more reliable than having the autopilot cruise through the tunnel with the danger of the user being able to disable the AP and blick the tunnel. The sled therefore makes the Tesla some sort of a bumper car without making any damage.
  - orasis 7y ago
    If it’s a consumer’s vehicle then the tunnel operator doesn’t care about the tire wear and tear.
powerbroker 7y ago
This will be a blessing to all, until someone runs out of gas in the tunnel. Then we will discover a new Musk-created hell.

30 points by ilarum 7y ago

> To recap: Musk’s company spent two years developing a very narrow car tunnel. To anyone who ever believed Elon Musk’s bullshit: you’ve been had. TSLA investors take note.

sunstone 7y ago
Clearly different tunnel implementations are appropriate for different situations. If you're going from LA to Las Vegas you'll do it differently than if you need to go a dozen city blocks. The practicality of the hyperloop has by now been demonstrated in various places. What's being demonstrated here is the entrance and exit technologies that go with the hyperloop. SpaceX investors take note.
- rohit2412 7y ago
  TBC is not building hyperloop. There is no vaccuum tunnel with maglev/air-cushion propulsion. This is just a tunnel. Not even the planned sled from before. A tunnel for just Teslas.
- imtringued 7y ago
  Where did you get that crazy idea? Hyperloop has lost to maglev. Trains that go 372mph already exist in Japan and China. The hard part is to deploy the technology as part of the rail network. Meanwhile Hyperloop companies are just trying to fleece dumb money with fake prototypes.
vain 7y ago
Thunderf00t had me convinced years ago. Cheap tunnel debunked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ezF7NmwQZs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ezF7NmwQZs Hyperloop debunked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNFesa01llk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNFesa01llk

Traster 7y ago

It seems to me that there were two technical details of TBC. One was "We can build a tunnel cheaply". That seems as far as I can see to have been entirely down to digging smaller tunnels- which doesn't seem like innovation to me, especially since some of the cost saved is by not building the escape tunnels that traditionally are built for safety not capacity. The second detail was "These tunnels will be fitted in a way that allows super-efficient transportation". That seems to have entirely disappeared. I would really hope to see some evidence of their efficiency of digging tunnels being legitimately better than traditional methods now. Otherwise you've got to fear that this all ends in a dozen people dying in a tunnel because the safety precautions weren't sufficient.

ComputerGuru 7y ago
The first benefit was directly as a result of the second. It was the hyperloop concept that afforded the option of a smaller diameter tunnel; switching to a more traditional transportation method would mean concessions all around if you want to still stick to the smaller diameter.

anoncake 7y ago

> This is simple and just works Who is that guy and what has he done to Elon Musk?

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

amluto 7y ago

There is at least one real, operational tunnel with few side exits and electric car sleds: the Chunnel!

Someone 7y ago
The channel tunnel actually are three tunnels: two train tunnels with a service tunnel in-between. The train tunnels are connected to the service tunnel at every 375m (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Tunnel#Tunnelling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_Tunnel#Tunnelling) So, there are no exits to the surface, but there are ways to get out of each of the tunnels. I would guess this kind of construct would make Musk’s design at least 50% more expensive per kilometer (in Musk’s design, a service tunnel can’t be less wide than the real ones. You could make a setup where tunnels can serve as service tunnels when needed, but even than, you need to build all those connections between the tunnels)

chrisfinne 7y ago

What? An entrepreneur shot for the moon but didn't make it on the first try? Burn him at the stake for trying.

abc_lisper 7y ago
The ass on my armchair deserves everything it was promised(for nothing).

anotheryou 7y ago

what would be the benefit to put a tesla on what's basically also a tesla? and the autopilot should be able to navigate the known narrow tunnel, no?

thatannoyingguy 7y ago
Having the car on a sled means no wear on the tyres. Furthermore the sled is specifically designed for the rails and acts as a guide for the car, which is more reliable than having the autopilot cruise through the tunnel with the danger of the user being able to disable the AP and blick the tunnel. The sled therefore makes the Tesla some sort of a bumper car without making any damage.
- orasis 7y ago
  If it’s a consumer’s vehicle then the tunnel operator doesn’t care about the tire wear and tear.

powerbroker 7y ago

This will be a blessing to all, until someone runs out of gas in the tunnel. Then we will discover a new Musk-created hell.