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I thought the cost was dramatically cheaper than subway systems because it was a much smaller diameter tunnel and didn't require nearly as much equipment? I see

by mdeeks 5y ago

I thought the cost was dramatically cheaper than subway systems because it was a much smaller diameter tunnel and didn't require nearly as much equipment? I seem to remember it was something like 10 or 100x cheaper (I'll have to look up numbers later). No question it'll be a lot less throughput. It seems like the factors are the cost per mile, time to build, and people per hour vs a subway system. All need to be weighed to have it make sense. Obviously they can't employ people to drive you in Teslas either. It's only worth it if I can drive in with my car and drive out the other end. If it is 10x cheaper, can we build 10x the number of tunnels to achieve similar results? I really just don't know yet.

bobthebuilders 5y ago
I'd question a 100x decrease, but anywhere from 2-10x due to less obstacle avoidance and external factors seems reasonable. (Although newer designs by places like Hitachi promise to cut cost using smaller vehicles at higher frequency, probably in an effort to make inroads in NA). Something else that's worth considering is whether this scales. I'd expect a loop like the Las Vegas Loop to be somewhat larger to deal with concerns with ventilation and evacuation, something this loop doesn't have to deal with yet. I think we also want GoA 2/GoA 3 capable cars, which should be easier than FSD and be achievable by Tesla in the short term. Driving manually through small tunnels is not for everyone, and even with guidewheels, I think automation is pretty important for this kind of system. The technology to realize these loops in the way Musk wants them isn't quite there yet, but I'd expect them to be here soonTM.
- mdeeks 5y ago
  The only numbers I can quickly find is this at about a 30x difference: For instance, Mayor Francis Suarez from Miami noted that TBC quoted $30 million for a tunnel under the Miami River. In comparison, the Miami-Dade County transit officials estimated a $900 million price tag for a tunnel about 2-miles long for the same project https://www.teslarati.com/elon-musk-boring-company-lvcc-loop-4400-per-hour-capacity-test-video/ https://www.teslarati.com/elon-musk-boring-company-lvcc-loop...

by mdeeks 5y ago

bobthebuilders 5y ago

I'd question a 100x decrease, but anywhere from 2-10x due to less obstacle avoidance and external factors seems reasonable. (Although newer designs by places like Hitachi promise to cut cost using smaller vehicles at higher frequency, probably in an effort to make inroads in NA). Something else that's worth considering is whether this scales. I'd expect a loop like the Las Vegas Loop to be somewhat larger to deal with concerns with ventilation and evacuation, something this loop doesn't have to deal with yet. I think we also want GoA 2/GoA 3 capable cars, which should be easier than FSD and be achievable by Tesla in the short term. Driving manually through small tunnels is not for everyone, and even with guidewheels, I think automation is pretty important for this kind of system. The technology to realize these loops in the way Musk wants them isn't quite there yet, but I'd expect them to be here soonTM.

mdeeks 5y ago
The only numbers I can quickly find is this at about a 30x difference: For instance, Mayor Francis Suarez from Miami noted that TBC quoted $30 million for a tunnel under the Miami River. In comparison, the Miami-Dade County transit officials estimated a $900 million price tag for a tunnel about 2-miles long for the same project https://www.teslarati.com/elon-musk-boring-company-lvcc-loop-4400-per-hour-capacity-test-video/ https://www.teslarati.com/elon-musk-boring-company-lvcc-loop...