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"Musk says he can build tunnels cheaper if he just makes them smaller. But in reality, it’s not small TBMs that are the future, but big ones. The cost of a TBM
by walkingolof 7y ago
"Musk says he can build tunnels cheaper if he just makes them smaller. But in reality, it’s not small TBMs that are the future, but big ones. The cost of a TBM doesn’t get much higher as you increase its diameter. Tt is therefore cheaper to build one very large tunnel, rather than two smaller ones."
If that is true, then Elon is betting on the wrong horse.
- rmason 7y agoI can remember articles promoting hydrogen powered cars as the future. They even said Elon made the wrong bet with electric. Some company's are still hawking hydrogen as the future, the difference is no one is paying any attention to them any longer. Someone else has made the bet for bigger tunnels and they're using a PR agency to push back. PG called out this tactic a few years back: http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html
- bluGill 7y agoThe bigger tunnel people have proven success, while the small tunnel people just have hype. People shut up about electric cars over hydrogen when electric proved itself. Note that back when this started there were many hydrogen naysayers who pointed out all the problems the hydrogen proponents have faced. The electric car people got lucky that lithium batteries advanced to where they could work - 20 years ago this wasn't a given to battery experts.