The Boring Company’s president, Steve Davis, said that the Las Vegas Loop will have Tesla Robovans once the transportation system expands further through the city and the existing fleet of normal Teslas reaches 1,200 vehicles.
Boring Company President Announces the Loop Will Use Robovans
Said Robovans, which are not yet built, are electric self-driving pod-like vehicles that will be able to hold up to 20 people each. According to Davis, the vehicles will be implemented on the Loop when the system is built out to 68 miles of tunnels and 104 stations across the Strip and downtown Las Vegas. When that happens, the idea is to use the future fleet of Robovans mainly during predictable spikes in demand, like game days and major events, when large numbers of riders are headed to the same destination simultaneously.
Davis explained that once a vehicle has four passengers and must begin making stops, the most efficient option is typically to deploy the smallest vehicle, such as a car. However, when demand is predictable, operators can anticipate large numbers of riders one or two hours in advance. In those cases, he said, it makes sense to deploy high-occupancy vehicles, such as the Robovan.
What Are the Future Expansion Plans for the Loop?
The Robovans are part of the extensive plans and yet unfulfilled plans for the Las Vegas Loop. The idea is for the construction of the system to be complete sometime between 2028 and 2029 – a somewhat optimistic project estimate as of now.
However, right now, the Loop is quite limited in coverage. The only new feature the Vegas Loop currently offers is a limited shuttle service to Harry Reid International Airport. This service, which accommodates roughly 50 passengers per day and operates on a limited schedule, launched earlier this month from Resorts World, Westgate, Encore, and the Las Vegas Convention Center, which are the only four Loop stations open at present.
Despite the Loop being rather limited in reach currently, the Boring Company is buying more Strip properties along the planned route of the system. The next planned phase of the project will add a 2.2-mile, two-way tunnel from Westgate to Paradise Road, set to open in the next few months. The section should enable speeds of up to 60 mph on certain stretches and increase the fleet to about 160 vehicles.
Many hurdles remain in the path of the final stages of the project, but even the few miles that have already been built have not gone without problems. Just a few months ago, for example, the Boring Company was fined $500,000 after authorities inspecting the tunnels found out that construction caused damage to the Las Vegas sewer system.