The city of Las Vegas receives more than 40 million tourists every year, but this does not mean that it is a city with a vast amount of public transport options. Bus lines are few and there are no subway stations. So, with the exception of the Monorail (a kind of monorail), taxi, Uber and the like, getting around there depends more on cars than anything else.
Perhaps with that in mind, Elon Musk, with his above-average vision for creating businesses and solutions, used his company, The Boring Company, to run an urban mobility project in Las Vegas that would be based on electric cars from Tesla, the Vegas Loop.
The concept is simple: create a series of stations underground, as if it were a subway line, except that instead of moving with trains, you would go with the Tesla Model X, Y, 3 and S, commanded, of course, by a driver trained by the company and following all safety recommendations.
THE canaltech went to Las Vegas for coverage of CES 2023 and had the opportunity to experience the Vegas Loop on its free route, which winds its way between the pavilions of the gigantic Las Vegas Convention Center. And even in a short excerpt, we can attest: the idea is excellent!
Underground and zero emissions
To make transportation possible with cars and underground, it was more than obvious that the most efficient and clean solution — as well as safe and healthy — would be with electric vehicles. And walking through the Vegas Loop tunnels, we realized that the idea was meticulously thought out for Tesla models.
All brand cars, in addition to zero emissions, are extremely safe and have sensors on all sides of the bodywork. The tunnels are really narrow and claustrophobic people may feel uncomfortable, but the efficiency of transport in these bolides is undeniable.
The drivers carry out the movements and cover the path with absurd naturalness, as they know that, in any eventuality, the car can stop in an emergency. In the time we were at the stations, we didn’t see a scratched car.
But how does the Vegas Loop actually work?
As soon as we got down to the LVCC station (Las Vegas Convention Center), everything happened very quickly and dynamically. Several attendants from The Boring Company were directing passengers and asking which station they would like to proceed to. As there were few, the information is passed on to the driver upon arrival at the parking slot.
Arriving at the station, the attendant asks which station we want to go to, we inform him, and he already directs us to the right slot, which, in this case, is the empty one. The driver, in turn, does not know where he is going, but he knows where he has to park, thanks to a device in the car updated in real time.
Everything is so fast that it seems automated, but from what we understand, the only person who receives information in advance is the driver. Attendants observe the course of operations on the visual and indicate where passengers should stay at the same time.
As soon as we get in the car, the driver confirms the destination and enters the Vegas Loop tunnel. There are no stops along the way. You leave from one point and go to another without intermediaries. This, perhaps, will be the great advantage of the service when it is 100% ready and with all the stations in full operation.
The speed, at least when we tried the service, did not exceed 50km/h, but the intention of the project is that, when completed, it reaches 250km/h. Elon Musk’s idea is, in the future, in addition to having more stations, to put cars running without drivers. We’re looking forward to testing that out too.
Is Vegas Loop worth it?
The Vegas Loop is well worth your while if you’re on assignment at the Las Vegas Convention Center. As there are still not many stations in the city, you are restricted to this route and the other route, which takes you to Resorts World. The latter is paid and costs US$ 4.50 (R$ 23.08 at current prices) per day.
