Elon Musk's Boring Co. to build express line to Chicago's O'Hare
Chicago has chosen a company founded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk to build an express service that would take 12 minutes to travel between downtown to O'Hare International Airport.
A spokesman for Mayor Rahm Emanuel confirmed the selection of The Boring Company on Wednesday night. Emanuel and Musk will make the formal announcement Thursday.
Adam Collins says the service will transport passengers between O'Hare and downtown in roughly 12 minutes using electric vehicles that will run through two underground tunnels. Collins says The Boring Company will fund the project in its entirety.
We’re really excited to work with the Mayor and the City to bring this new high-speed public transportation system to Chicago! https://t.co/cL1e0YfZSw
— The Boring Company (@boringcompany) June 14, 2018
The company says on its website that the vehicles will carry eight to 16 people and travel at speeds of 125 to 150 mph. The vehicles -- what the Boring Company calls "electric skates" -- will be built on a modified Tesla Model X chassis.
The vehicles will move through tunnels with "no surface noise and vibration," the company said on its website.
Emanuel says the move strengthens "our great city for future generations."
The Chicago Transit Authority's Blue Line trains currently provide transportation from stops across the city to the airport.
The Boring Company may be best known for its flamethrowers, which sold out earlier this year for $500 each. It's also proposing a high-speed loop to link downtown Washington D.C. with Baltimore.