A leaked video showing what is allegedly a prototype of a Tesla-made people mover for tunneling startup The Boring Company has emerged online. If the vehicle in the video is indeed the tunneling startup’s people mover, it will make the Boring Company’s tunnels look pretty futuristic.
The footage was shared online by Las Vegas video content creator Jacob Orth, who noted that the short clip was captured from inside the startup’s Las Vegas site. The content creator described the vehicle as a “secret Tesla van prototype designed for Elon Musk’s Vegas Loop.”
As could be seen in the video, the alleged people mover features 12 passenger seats and one driver’s seat. Interestingly enough, the driver’s seat had a Tesla steering wheel. The vehicle’s roof looks very tall as well, which should make it easy for some passengers to stand without any issues. The vehicle’s apparent low profile and fully flat interior would make it quite friendly for passengers on wheelchairs as well.
While the leaked video could not be verified as a legitimate Tesla or Boring Company project for now, its design and form does align with what the companies and Elon Musk have mentioned in the past. It does, for one, resemble a people mover concept teased by The Boring Company way back in 2017. The vehicle in question teased in the Boring Company’s video also featured a body that’s mostly glass, as well as a tall roof that makes it easy for passengers to stand and walk around.
It should be noted that the idea of a dedicated people mover for The Boring Company has actually been explored even before the tunneling startup posted its teaser video. Elon Musk’s Master Plan Part Deux, for one, mentioned that Tesla was also looking to electrify “high passenger density urban transport.” A transport pod similar to what was seemingly teased in the video seems to fit the bill for a high density urban transport.
The Boring Company’s Loop tunnels are intended to be a more efficient and more affordable alternative to conventional solutions such as subways. And while the Loop built in Las Vegas today proves that the concept is solid, the system at its current state is not at its full potential, thanks in no small part to its use of regular Tesla vehicles. With a high density urban transport vehicle in place, the Loop would likely be able to transport significantly more passengers.
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