Musk Unveils Video Of Transit Tunnel Outside L.A., Similar System Planned For Chicago
CHICAGO — Elon Musk's ambitious plans for high-speed rail in Chicago could be more of a reality than originally thought.
It would take travelers from downtown to O'Hare International Airport in just 12 minutes. The autonomous electric vehicles can carry eight to 16 people at speeds of 150 miles-per-hour.
When the partnership between Chicago and Musk was first announced in June, it sounded like something from the Jetsons.
Over the weekend, Musk tweeted a new video of a tunnel constructed under a Los Angeles suburb to test a new type of transportation system.
Musk tweeted that he walked the length of the tunnel and commented that it is "disturbingly long."
The tunnel runs about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) under the streets of Hawthorne, where Musk's SpaceX headquarters is located.
Musk envisions a transportation system in which vehicles or people pods are moved through tunnels on electrically powered platforms called skates.
He plans to show off the test tunnel with an opening party on Dec. 10 and offer free rides the next day.
Musk has proposed a tunnel across western Los Angeles and another between a subway line and Dodger Stadium.
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