Unauthorized Tesla entered Boring people-mover tunnels in June
The driver of a Tesla seeking a charging station breached the Convention Center Loop transit system in June, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority representatives acknowledged Tuesday.
LVCVA spokeswoman Lori Kraft said the unauthorized vehicle accessed the mile-long, twin-tunnel system on June 21 near the conclusion of the International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa Conferences and International Beauty Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Central Hall.
There were no injuries or damage associated with the breach.
Kraft said that within minutes the Loop system was shut down, the driver fully cooperated with security officers and operations resumed.
She said the Boring Co. took immediate action to refine its protocols with additional mitigation measures to ensure outside vehicles may not access the system in the future.
Company representatives did not respond to an email message seeking comment.
The incident, first reported Monday by the TechCrunch online industry newspaper that covers high-tech and start-up companies, set off a flurry of discussion about the company taking steps toward making the $52.5 million underground people-mover developed by Elon Musk an autonomous system.
The newspaper reported that according to a management agreement between Boring and the LVCVA, the system is supposed to have “physical barriers (to) guard against entry of accidental, rogue, or otherwise unauthorized vehicles into the tunnels.” These include security gates on roadways into the system and dozens of concrete bollards surrounding its two ground-level stations.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.
