The city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, recently accepted a bid from Elon Musk’s company to create a Tesla tunnel taxi service. What is a Tesla tunnel taxi service? Well, that isn’t really clear yet.

The Elon Musk Tesla tunnel

According to reports from CNN, Elon Musk’s The Boring Company is working on a deal with Fort Lauderdale to offer a Tesla tunnel taxi service. Beachgoers would be able to take the Tesla tunnel from downtown Fort Lauderdale to the beach in a Tesla. Right now, the price of this trip in an uber costs about $10 per trip. This can go much higher during peak hours. Musk estimates the price to be around $5 to $8 per person with the Tesla taxi service.

The project is currently called the Las Olas Loop, based on a local road used to get to the beach. Like the tunnels used in various Tesla events, the Tesla electric vehicles will use the tunnel to beat traffic. The Boring Company recently opened a similar Tesla tunnel at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Will the Tesla tunnel alleviate traffic?

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said, “This could be a truly innovative way to reduce traffic congestion.” Other firms have 45 days to submit proposals before a decision is made. Not everyone is on board yet, with some transportation officials noting much more efficient ways to use a tunnel. Limiting it just to Tesla vehicles in the Tesla tunnel could exclude larger groups from having an affordable way to reach the beach.

“This is the type of big, bold idea that we should be exploring. Good transportation is ultimately about the functionality of a city.”

Ben Porritt | Brightline spokesperson

The largest Tesla available offers a small third-row but can still carry far fewer passengers than a van or a bus. It would, however, ease the number of rides the Broward County Transit bus line makes every day. Additionally, it will make the parking situation a bit easier to manage. People would be able to park at the Brightline train station downtown and hitch a ride in a Tesla Model 3 to the beach.

Thus far, this seems like a shiny idea to ramp up the visibility of Tesla electric vehicles in Florida. 100 trips in a car can’t replace the number of people a few bus trips could take. However, Musk has noted that these “pod” vehicles could seat up to 16 passengers in recent family projects.

There are a lot of unknown details

There are many potential hurdles The Boring Company would have to address, such as the cost of building a tunnel in Florida. Florida isn’t exactly known for its tunnels and basements due to the limestone and underground aquifers. Fort Lauderdale hasn’t released more specifics about the project yet and likely won’t until the 45 days are up.

Beyond the obvious traffic benefits, driving in a Tesla would likely bring in some beachgoers for the novelty of the idea. On the flip side, a tunnel in a beach town that experiences hurricanes regularly during the season also has its drawbacks.

It sounds like there are a few details to be worked out before we can hop in a Tesla and head to the beach. If anyone can do it, it’s probably Elon Musk and the Tesla tunnel service.