CES Attendees Navigate Show Through Elon Musk's Las Vegas Tunnels
Navigating the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is easier in 2022 because of Elon Musk’s Las Vegas Convention Center tunnels. How do the tunnels work?
Jan. 7 2022, Published 11:12 a.m. ET
Navigating the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is easier in 2022 because of Elon Musk’s Las Vegas Convention Center tunnels.
The annual CES event, which usually attracts over 170,000 attendees, is the second test of the underground transportation system at the Las Vegas Convention Center built by Musk’s Boring Company. After coming online in June 2021, the tunnel system was first used for the SEMA auto trade show in November 2021.
“Teslas in Tunnels” cut down on travel time.
Known as “Teslas in Tunnels,” the three-station system ferries people through two 0.8 mile tunnels in human-driven Teslas. The vehicles drive at no more than 40 miles per hour and drastically cut the time to walk to the various locations at the Convention Center.
According to the Boring Company website, the travel time through the tunnels is about two minutes compared to the 45 minutes it usually takes to walk across the center campus.
“We are thrilled to debut the Convention Center Loop to CES attendees,” Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority spokeswoman Lori Nelson-Kraft said in a statement. “Since the system debuted in June, customer feedback consistently ranks the Convention Center Loop as entertaining, innovative, and their favorite part of their convention experience.”
The rides might be stressful for those who are claustrophobic because the tunnels are only about 12 feet wide—just wide enough to fit a Tesla Model 3.
Some CES attendees have experienced backups in the tunnels.
Although Musk’s vision for the tunnel system was to reduce traffic, some CES travelers experienced backups getting from one part of the convention center to the other.
“2025: This is how most will die, asphyxiating in a tesla tunnel traffic jam, which is supposed to be impossible,” tweeted @pixelnull, who also posted a video of a backup of Teslas in the tunnel. In the video, the driver says that the reason for the backup is that only two of the center’s three entrances were open.
The plan for the Las Vegas tunnel loop gets the go-ahead.
Musk wants to put underground tunnels throughout Las Vegas so people can travel in Teslas to and from the Harry Reid International Airport, the Convention Center, downtown, and casinos along the Las Vegas Strip.
It looks like Musk will get his wish. In October, Clark County officials gave the green light to the Boring Company’s proposal to build 29 miles of tunnels and 51 stations throughout the area.
The 50-year franchise agreement between the county and Boring is only for the alignment of the proposed route. Each of the planned 51 stops will need separate land use permit approval before they can be developed, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Boring will need to get a separate franchise agreement with the city for the portion of tunnels that run under Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Once completed, the Las Vegas tunnel system will transport as many as 57,000 passengers per hour. Fares will be relatively low, with a 4.9-mile ride from the airport to the convention center costing about $10.
