The Boring Company

The Boring Company
Company type	Private
Industry	Infrastructure, tunnel construction
Founded	January 11, 2017; 9 years ago
Founder	Elon Musk
Headquarters	Bastrop, United States
Key people	Elon Musk (Founder), Steve Davis (President)
Products	Tunnel boring machines, tunneling services, transit systems
Website	www.boringcompany.com

The Boring Company (TBC) is a U.S.-based firm specializing in infrastructure and tunnel construction, founded by Elon Musk. Initially created in 2017 as a division within SpaceX, it became an independent company the following year. TBC has developed multiple experimental tunnels alongside one operational public tunneling project.

In 2018, the company completed a test tunnel located in Los Angeles County, California. By 2021, it unveiled the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) Loop, a transit system featuring three stations and spanning tunnels. As of April 2024, a section connecting to Resorts World Las Vegas was opened, with further tunnel extensions to Encore and Westgate resorts close to completion. The entire system is planned to grow to encompass tunnels.

Additional projects across the United States were announced but subsequently became inactive or were canceled.

In November 2025, TBC initiated trials of autonomous vehicles operating within its tunnel network, while keeping human drivers on standby to take control if needed.

History

Elon Musk revealed plans for The Boring Company in December 2016 and officially registered it as "TBC – The Boring Company" on January 11, 2017. The company was created in response to traffic congestion issues in Los Angeles and the constraints of current transportation systems. Initially launched as a subsidiary under SpaceX, its mission was to accelerate tunneling processes to make underground transit financially feasible.

By early 2018, The Boring Company separated from SpaceX, becoming an independent entity with Elon Musk owning over 90% of shares and early employees holding the remainder. The firm engineered its own tunnel boring machines and conducted testing at Hawthorne, California, where a public test tunnel was inaugurated on December 18, 2018.

Following an initial $113 million funding round from Musk’s investment and merchandise sales in 2018, TBC secured an additional $120 million through venture capital in July 2019.

Steve Davis, who joined SpaceX early on and holds advanced degrees in particle physics, aerospace engineering, finance, and mechanical engineering, was appointed president of the company by November 2019. Toward the end of 2020, The Boring Company expanded its footprint to Austin, Texas, leasing two buildings on a 14-acre industrial property near the Texas Gigafactory.

On April 20, 2022, the company announced completion of a $675 million Series C financing round led by Vy Capital and Sequoia Capital, placing its valuation near $5.675 billion. Additional investors included Valor Equity Partners, Founders Fund, 8VC, Craft Ventures, and DFJ Growth. In that same year, TBC received five environmental violation notices from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Prior to April 2023, The Boring Company moved its headquarters and engineering operations to Bastrop, Texas, situated approximately 25 miles east of the Texas Gigafactory.

Merchandise

In 2018, the company made available 20,000 units of a device resembling a gun-shaped blowtorch for preorder. This item was lawful across all U.S. states except Maryland and quickly sold out within days. Following customs restrictions on imports labeled as "flamethrowers," the product was rebranded as the "Not-A-Flamethrower," highlighting its likeness to roofing torches. Additionally, Musk promoted a fire extinguisher described as "overpriced... but with a cool sticker included."

Not-a-Boring Competition

The Not-a-Boring Competition, initiated by TBC in 2020, is a contest focused on student teams developing tunnel boring capabilities. The first event occurred in Las Vegas in September 2021, where participants were tasked with drilling a tunnel 30 meters in length and 30 centimeters in diameter. Out of 400 applicants, 12 teams reached the final round. The champion, TUM Boring from the Technical University of Munich, completed a 22-meter tunnel using pipe jacking combined with an innovative rotating pipe storage system designed to minimize downtime.

A second iteration of the competition was held in April 2023 featuring updated specifications: a 30-meter-long tunnel with a diameter of 500 millimeters including a curve. Five finalist teams from the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland competed in Texas. Once again, TUM Boring secured first place with a peak speed of 7 mm/s, while Swissloop Tunneling earned second place along with an award for innovation.

Machines

TBC’s initial boring machine was Godot, a traditional tunnel boring machine manufactured by Lovat. Its successor, known as Prufrock, included Prufrock 2 which demonstrated the ability to excavate up to one mile per week, with ambitions to achieve seven miles per day in future versions. Industry experts have observed Musk’s strategic emphasis on small-diameter tunnels to reduce both timeframes and expenses.

Process

The company’s objective is to transform conventional tunnel boring methods by reducing costs, accelerating project timelines, enhancing safety measures, and limiting environmental disruption at construction sites.

Porpoising

Rather than relying on large-scale excavations at tunnel entrances and exits, TBC’s tunnel boring machines employ a "porpoising" technique. The TBM is transported at an angle via truck, bores underground while adjusting its trajectory as needed, then emerges to be reloaded onto the truck. This contrasts with traditional approaches that require extensive excavation pits to lower and assemble machines at the start and disassemble them at the end of tunnels.

Liner truck

Tunnel lining segments are moved using an all-electric autonomous wheeled liner truck powered by Tesla motors and batteries. This system replaces conventional diesel-powered rail transport systems that necessitate parallel construction alongside the tunnel lining.

Continuous tunneling

Unlike standard methods that pause every five feet for segment installation and rail extension, TBC aims to maintain uninterrupted tunneling while installing ring liners. Their goal is to increase daily operational tunneling time from 11 hours up to 24 hours.

Zero-person-in-tunnel

In 2025, TBC demonstrated a tunneling machine capable of fully autonomous operation without any personnel inside the tunnel. This advanced system manages excavation, slurry removal, and installs heavy ring cylinders weighing approximately 12 tons independently.

Hawthorne test tunnel

TBC completed a high-speed tunnel spanning 1.14 miles in 2017, located near SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, California. This asphalt-paved route accommodates autonomous vehicles traveling up to 90 mph, while human drivers can reach speeds as high as 116 mph.

Convention Center

In May 2019, TBC was awarded a $48.7 million contract to construct a shuttle loop beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center. Excavation of the initial 4,475-foot tunnel commenced on November 15, 2019, and concluded by February 14, 2020, with an average progress of 49 feet daily. The second tunnel reached completion in May 2020, resulting in a combined tunnel length of 1.7 miles. The system became operational in October 2021, utilizing standard Tesla Model 3 vehicles driven at approximately 35 mph. Las Vegas Tourism hailed the project as "a significant advancement toward a transformative transportation solution."

Testing conducted in May 2021 revealed the system's ability to handle up to 4,400 passengers per hour. Service for convention attendees began on June 8, 2021. Designed to reduce congestion with trips lasting less than two minutes, the tunnel nonetheless experienced traffic backups during peak events throughout 2021 and 2022.

Private tunnels to convention center

The tunnel connecting to Resorts World Las Vegas opened its doors in July 2022. As of April 2024, Encore Las Vegas is actively developing a private tunnel providing direct access to the LVCC.

Vegas Loop

In October 2021, Clark County granted a 50-year franchise for a predominantly underground dual loop system featuring 52 stops over a distance of 16 miles. This network primarily serves the Resort Corridor and links locations such as Allegiant Stadium, Brightline West Las Vegas Station, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. TBC planned to establish five to ten stations within the first year and anticipated adding around sixteen stations annually thereafter. Tunnel construction is financed by TBC, while station development is funded by resorts and property owners.

By May 2023, approval was given for TBC to expand the Vegas Loop to encompass 69 stations across a 65-mile tunnel network. This expansion includes extensions to Strip casinos, Harry Reid International Airport, Allegiant Stadium, and downtown Las Vegas. Upon completion, TBC estimates the system will transport over 90,000 passengers per hour.

Operational expenses indicate that TBC subsidizes the Loop to keep fares affordable; for example, Resorts World offers a day pass at $5, supplemented by an additional $4.5 million annually from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), equating to roughly $7.50 per ride.

In February 2024, Nevada OSHA issued citations against TBC for multiple safety violations at its tunnel construction sites. Among these were eight serious infractions reported between June and October 2023 involving chemical burns caused by sludge exposure. Workers described their conditions as "nearly intolerable." TBC disputed these findings.

Despite these safety concerns, the LVCVA board voted in March 2024 to proceed with extending the current tunnel system and committed to resolving safety issues. In April 2024, TBC was listed among the "Dirty Dozen" worst offenders for workplace safety by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health.

On May 28, 2025, Nevada imposed a $400,000 fine on TBC after two firefighters sustained chemical burns during a training exercise within Loop tunnels; however, this penalty was withdrawn the following day following discussions involving Boring’s president and state officials.

Later that year, on October 28, 2025, TBC received nearly $500,000 in fines for unlawfully discharging drill fluid into Clark County’s sewer system beginning April 21, 2025.

Dubai Loop

In February 2025, the Boring Company partnered with the Roads & Transport Authority (Dubai) to develop the Dubai Loop in the United Arab Emirates. The initial phase features 11 stations located beneath heavily trafficked zones of Dubai, engineered to carry 20,000 passengers hourly at speeds reaching . Future expansions aim to increase this capacity to 100,000 passengers per hour. No specific completion date has been announced.

Music City Loop

On July 28, 2025, the company revealed plans for an approximately tunnel project in Nashville, Tennessee, linking Nashville International Airport with downtown Nashville under the name Music City Loop. The earliest anticipated completion date is fall 2026.

Additional Initiatives

The Boring Company has explored several other potential projects. In February 2021, Miami’s mayor Francis Suarez disclosed a proposal from Musk for a $30 million, two-mile tunnel beneath the Miami River, promising completion within six months—markedly less expensive and quicker than the transit authority’s $1 billion, four-year projection. These savings are attributed to streamlined ventilation requirements and exclusive use of electric vehicles. As of November 2023, Miami is awaiting a transportation planning study on this initiative.

In August 2021, initial discussions took place with officials in Cameron County, Texas about a possible tunnel extending from South Padre Island to Boca Chica Beach underneath the Brownsville Ship Channel. This tunnel would provide continued access to SpaceX Starbase facilities if Texas State Highway 4, the sole road to Starbase, becomes inaccessible.

Washington, DC to Baltimore, Maryland

Musk announced a Hyperloop connection between Washington, DC and Baltimore in 2017. This concept evolved in 2018 into a proposed route following the Baltimore–Washington Parkway. The Maryland Transportation Authority gave its approval, and a draft Environmental Assessment was completed in 2019. Nevertheless, by 2021 the project was removed from the company’s website; no federal progress was reported, the Maryland lobbyist was dismissed, and the company chose not to provide comments.

Chicago, Illinois

In 2018, the company secured a contract to construct the Chicago Express Loop, envisioned as a rapid transit link from downtown Chicago to O'Hare Airport. By 2021, this initiative had been discontinued.

Los Angeles, California

The Boring Company proposed a 2.7-mile test tunnel near Sepulveda Boulevard running parallel to Interstate 405 in 2018. Due to public resistance and legal challenges, this plan was abandoned. Additionally, a proposed 3.6-mile "Dugout Loop" tunnel connecting Vermont Avenue to Dodger Stadium was removed from the company’s website by mid-2021.

San Jose, California

Discussions took place in 2019 about constructing a tunnel between San Jose International Airport and Diridon station as an economical alternative to an $800 million rail project; however, these plans were ultimately shelved.

San Bernardino County, California

In February 2021, contract negotiations began between the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority and TBC for nearly four miles of tunneling linking Ontario International Airport with Rancho Cucamonga Metrolink/Brightline West station. After involving an external party for impact assessments, TBC did not submit a formal proposal. By 2022, SBCTA intended to move forward with another firm possessing greater experience with state regulations to manage both the Environmental Impact Report and tunnel construction.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

In July 2021, Fort Lauderdale gave the green light to The Boring Company's initiative for a tunnel connecting downtown with the beachfront, dubbed the Las Olas Loop. By August 2021, the city was nearing final agreements with TBC, with Mayor Dean Trantalis projecting the cost for the 5-mile round-trip tunnel, including stations, to range between $90 and $100 million. Nonetheless, as of December 2022, the municipality halted any further progress on this initiative.

San Antonio, Texas

In March 2022, Bexar County chose The Boring Company to construct a transit corridor linking downtown San Antonio and San Antonio International Airport; however, the company later discontinued communication.

Blue Mountains

Elon Musk proposed in January 2019 a 50-kilometer tunnel traversing the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, estimating expenses at $750 million plus an additional $50 million per station. Contrastingly, New South Wales’ transport authority forecasted costs near $6 billion based on similar undertakings. This proposal did not advance beyond Musk’s initial social media announcement and is absent from The Boring Company’s official project listings.

Criticism

Professionals in civil engineering and experienced tunneling specialists have expressed doubt regarding TBC’s ability to produce tunnels more rapidly and economically than established competitors. Tunnelling Journal labeled the enterprise as primarily a "vanity project." The limited throughput capacity of TBC’s tunnels renders them less effective compared to existing public transportation systems, offering only a small portion of the volume managed by traditional rapid-transit subway networks.

Musk’s tunnel designs have also faced criticism for omitting critical safety elements such as emergency egress routes, ventilation systems, and fire suppression mechanisms. The single-lane configuration prevents vehicles from overtaking in cases of accidents or mechanical failures, which could result in complete tunnel closures.

James Moore, transportation engineering director at the University of Southern California, highlighted that more cost-effective alternatives exist for enhancing mass transit, such as implementing traffic tolls. Public transit expert Jarrett Walker described TBC as "wildly hyped," noting it "captivated municipal authorities and investors with promises of an efficient subway experience without leaving one’s car but ultimately amounted to a paved road tunnel." After seven years since inception, TBC has excavated merely 2.4 miles of tunnel.

External links

A 55-minute presentation detailing the company’s vision and Los Angeles project, including a Q&A session.