The most boring company in the world
(Boring as in dull… and as in drilling holes.)
Up top, traffic doesn’t move. Down below, a tunnel carries cars with no traffic lights or intersections. The idea: if cities can no longer grow sideways, let them grow downwards, with many layers of tunnels.
Dirt grows with the square
Digging a tunnel is, above all, removing dirt. And the dirt that comes out depends on the area of the circle, which grows with the square of the diameter: a tunnel half as wide removes four times less dirt. According to the company, that cuts digging costs by 3 to 4 times. ↗
A one-lane tunnel is usually about 8.5 m (28 ft) across; The Boring Company’s are under 4.3 m (14 ft): just what a car needs. ↗ Move the diameter and see the difference.
Beat Gary
The company’s mascot is a snail named Gary. Why? According to The Boring Company, a snail moves about 14 times faster than a conventional soft-soil tunnel boring machine. Its stated goal is simple: build a machine that beats the snail. ↗ Its current machine, Prufrock, aims for one mile (1.6 km) a week. ↗
Musk announced it in December 2016, frustrated with Los Angeles traffic; it was registered in January 2017. ↗
Under 14 feet: just enough for a car, half a typical one-lane tunnel. ↗
It opened in 2021 at the convention center. In 2026 it has 13 stations, the airport included, and has carried more than 4 million passengers. ↗ ↗
A snail. The bar to beat. ↗
They turn the excavated dirt into bricks and pavers instead of throwing it away. ↗
“Not-a-Flamethrowers” sold in a few days, in 2018. ↗
Cities with many layers
The plan: networks of tunnels that are cheap and quick to build, with electric cars driving through them with no intersections or traffic lights. Here is where each piece stands:
- Car tunnels in Las VegasOperational
- Expanding the Las Vegas network to 123 stationsIn development
- Tunnels in other cities: Nashville and DubaiIn development
- Hyperloop: pods in tubes with almost no airConcept
Approximate status as of October 2026; things may have moved on. Las Vegas has approved 68 miles (110 km) of tunnels and 123 stations. ↗ In Nashville, a Loop to the airport has been under excavation since February 25, 2026; ↗ in Dubai, the first phase has four stations. ↗ Hyperloop remains a proposal. ↗