Fire Regulations Might Force The Boring Company’s Las Vegas Loop To Quarter Capacity

Due to fire regulations, Elon Musk's tunneling venture, The Boring Company might only be able to operate in quarter of the stated capacity.

As per a report by TechCrunch The Boring Company’s tunnel in Las Vegas, being built to shuttle participants attending the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), might not be able to move as many people as originally thought.

The LVCC is the site for the biggest technology trade gathering, the Consumer Electronics Show(CES). Every year at CES, companies unveil their newest and most ambitious technology endeavors. This draws huge crowds from around the world.

The international audience is made up of a wide swath of individuals, ranging from company representatives looking for new products to technology enthusiasts who just want to know about the news gadgets.

Every January, around 180,000 individuals from all over the world attend CES. This causes significant congestion in the surrounding area that lasts day and night.

The Boring Company with its revolutionary approach to transportation is under contract with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), the parent company of LVCC, to provide a tunnel solution to move individuals across the 350,000 square feet campus.

According to The Boring Company website, the company plans to reduce the time it takes to move from one end of the convention to the other from 15 minutes down to 1 minute, using its tunnels.

TBC plans to utilize electric vehicles, Tesla Model S, 3, X, and Y being driven autonomously underneath the whole convention compound to achieve the expedited movement.

Related News: Elon Musk: We Will Make A Dense Tesla If It Matters.

As per the contract TBC signed with LVCVA, there are penalties in place if the former is unable to transport 3,960 passengers per hour. The fines are for $300,000 per trade show the requirement is failed to be met.

TBC will also lose the 13 million dollar contract if the company is unable to deliver a working tunnel.

And according to zoning documents examined by TechCrunch, one of the 3 stations will only be able to accommodate 800 individuals per hour. This, if true for all stations, will mean The Boring Company won’t be able to meet the 3960 passengers per hour requirements.

If true, one thing working for TBC that will make it relatively easier to solve this problem is the ease with which the company can add more tunnels.

According to TBC, “Loop ridership is a function of the number, size, and spacing of stations. Generally, high-volume Loop systems target 10,000 people/hour. If a system requires greater ridership, additional tunnels can be constructed. If a system requires much lower ridership, the tunnel system remains the same, and smaller, less expensive stations are constructed.”

TBC says the Loop system is less like the subway and more like an underground highway system. As a result, the company is able to utilize three different types of stations depending on the need. These are surface stations, subsurface stations, and subsurface open-air stations. Stations could be as small as an area enough to park two cars or as big as a large hall.

Both The Boring Company and Las Vegas Convention Center did not respond to TechCrunch's request for comment. However, we will keep you posted when more information comes out on how TBC plans to tackle this issue.

So what do you think? Will The Boring Company fail to meet its requirements and be penalized? Or do you think they will be able to solve this with relative ease? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments below.

For more information Check out: Tesla Increases Range Of Model S, 3, X and Y Also, see Tesla Model 3 Refresh Goes Live With 353-Miles Increased EPA Range.

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and The evolution of the EV space on a daily basis for several years. He covers everything about Tesla from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.