Elon And Kimball Musk Are Up To Big Things (1 Viewer)

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Linda

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We've been hearing quite a bit about Elon Musk for several years - cars, batteries, rockets, and now a boring (as in digging) company. The Tesla gig-a-factory just opened here and will produce the Cybertruck, Model 3, Model Y SUV and Semi tractor-trailer. I've got nothing against the idea of electric vehicles, but I have big concerns about the production of batteries, as well as recycling when they are kaput. I was talking with some people about the idea of an easy conversion of traditional batteries to a new form of energy. Sorry I don't recall who suggested this, but seems like an interesting idea to me.

I found this little tidbit today in an email on local news.

Elon Musk's The Boring Company on April 20 announced it has raised $675M series C investment that gives the tunneling company a nearly $5.7B valuation. The funding deal is the largest venture investment ever in the Austin area.
The Boring Company's massive fundraise was led by Vy Capital and Sequoia Capital. Others in on the round included Valor Equity Partners, Founders Fund, Austin-based 8VC, Craft Ventures and DFJ Growth. Company officials couldn't be reached Thursday for additional comment. In a tweet, Musk said: "Please consider working at The Boring Company! Our goal is to solve traffic, which plagues every major city on Earth."
The company has listed 40 Austin area jobs on its careers page, including roles in software development, electrical and mechanical engineering, finance, facilities management, concrete work and internships. Morgan Flager, a managing partner at Austin-based Silverton Partners, wasn't part of The Boring Company's funding round. But he said VC firms getting into a deal of this magnitude typically do so because they envision a potential $15B to $20B outcome.
“You have a guy who has created a few of those," he said of Musk. “Even in bad market conditions, there are always exceptions. There are always points of light.” from AustinInno

Wondering about the boring company? They build tunnels for everything from high-speed traffic to pedestrian walkways. Some already are working in Las Vegas. Plenty of room for improvement in Texas, and one of the suburban communities is looking into one that will go underneath a rail line and connect a residential area to retail. The suburban communities that surround Austin began as towns around rail lines. As the areas grew, the presence of the tracks posed a problem, and this type of tunnel would work wonders.

The company has a new drill, Prufrock, that can drill one mile a day, which is six times faster than the previous drill. That is fast enough to make quite a few projects feasible. Interesting that Elon decided to locate his plant here. Wondering what all he might have in mind. Follow link to the website for some eye-opening info. https://www.boringcompany.com/

To solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic, roads must go 3D, which means either flying cars or tunnels are needed. Unlike flying cars, tunnels are weatherproof, out of sight, and won't fall on your head.
Tunnels minimize usage of valuable surface land and do not conflict with existing transportation systems. A large network of tunnels can alleviate congestion in any city; no matter how large a city grows, more levels of tunnels can be added.

Did you know Kimball Musk (brother) has a venture going in northern US? Neither did I, but he co-founded a company, Square Roots, which sets up hydroponic gardens. So far, they are in New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin. These states are in the northern part of the country and have cold, harsh winters. Also, the farms are located in more densely populated areas with little available land for traditional farming. Then we might consider the possibility of moving into a little ice-age and the enormous value of this type of farming.

We use the resources we do need, carefully. Our hydroponic growing systems efficiently recirculate water, growing produce with 95% less water than conventional field farms.
Farms do not have to be in fields. We repurpose existing urban infrastructure, like empty parking lots, and use upcycled shipping containers to construct our farms, reducing our impact on the land.
Being closer to your farm has its perks. We build our farms in cities, and pick produce at its peak so you can enjoy fresher greens that last longer in your kitchen. https://www.squarerootsgrow.com/about

So, these brothers are looking way ahead, and I think they see something that I do not. I am very interested in how these projects turn out.
 

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