The unveiling of the futuristic Las Vegas transportation system has many people disappointed. The description before launch heightened expectations to something seemingly straight out of a movie, but this was not the case.
The transport system by Elon Musk passes underneath the LAs Vegas Convention center. The system’s goal was to provide transport for attendees of the convention all over the 200-acre premises in an efficient underground system sitting 40 feet below surface level. The movement was supposed to be in all-electric driverless Teslas, moving at incredible speeds.
However, this was not the case after the unveiling. The road is well-done, passing through a tunnel with impressive lights. However, the vehicles are all ordinary Teslas, driven by human drivers and going at35 mph, contrary to the expected 155 mph. The expectation versus reality was disappointing, and people did not hold back from expressing their views of the lackluster transportation system.
It comprises a vast loop, with two tunnels, each ferrying vehicles one-way through the tunnel. The project cost more than fifty million dollars, and there are plans to do the same in other parts of the city possibly. It is unclear whether the transport system will ever meet the initial speculated standards as the company did not respond to any queries from the media about this new project.
There are three passenger stations along the course of the loop, and it is estimated that the Teslas will ferry passengers across the campus grounds in about two minutes. It is impressive but does not compare to what 155 mph driverless Teslas would have done on the same track. The harshest comments have come from tech enthusiasts and reviewers who had the highest expectations. Twitter users did not show any sympathy either, and there were all sorts of statements describing the project. Most people seemed to agree that it was nothing more than riding a Tesla through a fancy tunnel at slow speed.
However, it would be unfair to focus on the flaws without appreciating the effort that went into the transport system. The entire process from the board giving the green light to the project, excavations, and developing the transport system took less than two years to implement, which in itself is admirable. It is too early to tell if there is a significant improvement to the traffic gridlock, which was one of the motivating factors for Musk when he embarked on the project.
