Elon Musk unveils LA underground tunnel plan

Elon Musk, co-founder and chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., speaks during an unveiling event for the Boring Co. Hawthorne test tunnel in Hawthorne, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. Elon Musk has unveiled his underground transportation tunnel, allowing reporters and VIPs to take some of the first rides in the subterranean tube, which the tech entrepreneur says is the answer to what he calls "soul-destroying traffic." [Photo:AP]

Elon Musk unveiled his underground transportation tunnel in Los Angeles and invited guests to take some of the first rides.

The tech entrepreneur explained in detail how the system, which he calls "loop," could work on a larger scale beneath cities across the globe.

"The way the loop would work is that you'd have them you'd have main arteries that are traveling at 150 miles an hour and only when you want to go to an exit would you have an off ramp. So you can travel the vast majority of your journey without stopping at 150 miles an hour and only slow down when you get to your exit."

Autonomous, electric vehicles could be lowered into the system on wall-less elevators, which could be placed almost anywhere cars can go.

The cars would have to be fitted with specially designed side wheels that pop out perpendicular to the car's regular tires and run along the tunnel's track.

Musk said the cost for such wheels would be about 200 or 300 US dollars a car.