Tesla initiates comprehensive self-driving trials within The Boring Company's Vegas subterranean passages.
Tesla and The Boring Company's Autonomous Tunnel Trials in Las Vegas
The trials for Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology in The Boring Company's Las Vegas tunnels have been underway since the end of 2024. A 3.5-mile (5.6km) underground system is being navigated by Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD (Supervised).
This development is significant for both Tesla and The Boring Company, as the tunnels were promoted as an ideal showcase for autonomous transportation. The Boring Company's business model heavily relies on the successful implementation of autonomous transportation, as the cost of employing human drivers poses a scalability issue.
The trials, however, have encountered unique challenges. Tesla's FSD has faced difficulties due to the tunnels' colorful LED lighting and semi-polished rock walls, which are unlike the conditions typically encountered by autonomous vehicles. Unlike rivals such as Waymo or Cruise, Tesla's approach depends solely on vision-based neural networks, making unusual light patterns a tricky variable.
Despite these challenges, safety drivers remain behind the wheel, ready to intervene during the trials. The LVCVA CEO, Steve Hill, has stated that widespread driverless service is "a ways off." He added that human backups still "periodically" need to take control, indicating that full autonomy remains out of reach.
The LVCVA is considering hiring independent consultants to review safety data related to autonomous operations. Hill also mentioned that the LVCVA would likely hire independent consultants to review safety data before approving any expansion of autonomous operations. The Boring Company engages independent consultants to analyze the safety data from autonomous rides in the Las Vegas Convention Center tunnels and to approve the expansion of the autonomous rides before they can be extended.
The Boring Company is seeking to extend its network to the Las Vegas airport and potentially other U.S. cities. Proving autonomy is key to The Boring Company's business model, as the cost of employing human drivers limits scalability. The company's ambitions, however, must wait until the system can operate with exceptional reliability, before safety drivers can be removed from the equation.
As the trials continue throughout 2025, the path towards fully autonomous transportation in The Boring Company's tunnels remains a challenging but promising endeavour.
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