E. Musk's dreams become reality

Humanity to settle on an urbanized Mars by 2029

Elon Musk, the world's richest man, is famous not only for his influence and publicly expressed views on Western things, but also for his bold ideas that people enjoy laughing at. But in the end, Musk gets the last laugh and shows the world new frontiers.

E. Musk has long dreamed of establishing an autonomous city on Mars, where eventually a million people could live, so that humanity would have a chance to survive in the event of a catastrophe on Earth, such as a meteorite strike. Musk believes that colonizing Mars is necessary for survival and a source of inspiration and hope for the future^[1].

While it was originally expected that humans would be sent to Mars by the mid-2020s, Musk has now revised the timetable to say that astronauts could arrive on Mars by 2029.

However, life on Mars will be difficult because of the treacherous landscape and dust storms, and those who move there may need loans to pay for the journey alone. They could then work in various industries on Mars just to pay off their debts. Musk has estimated that creating an autonomous city on Mars could cost up to USD 10 trillion.

E. Musk's vision is not limited to a single city. He plans to establish several colonies and is convinced that humanity needs to expand into space to ensure its survival and, just like that, diversify its lives. Despite many challenges, including the harsh Martian weather and limited resources, Musk is determined to make Mars colonization a reality within a few decades.

An underground tunnel system is being developed for electric vehicles

Only electric cars will do in Musk's futuristic (if not quite) cities. There are almost no more ordinary streets, as all their traffic is in underground tunnels.

E. Musk's tunnel system, developed by The Boring Company, aims to reduce city traffic by creating underground tunnels for electric cars. These tunnels - part of Musk's vision for efficient urban transport - include the Loop, where vehicles or capsules carry passengers at up to 150 miles per hour.

The first pilot tunnel was unveiled in Los Angeles in 2018, proving the concept's feasibility. The most notable project so far is the Loop at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, opening in 2021. It uses Tesla cars to transport passengers quickly between stations, significantly reducing travel times^[2].

The plan is to extend the system to the wider Vegas Loop, with more than 50 stations linking the city's key destinations.

The Boring Company is also working on projects in cities such as Fort Lauderdale and Miami, but it faces challenges such as regulatory hurdles and a lack of cost and capacity.

Space travel on reusable rockets made more affordable by SpaceX

Another situation where Musk had the last laugh was when talk of reusable rockets being used to achieve commercial goals became a reality. Musk, the founder of SpaceX, has shown that such rockets can be launched into space, and even more cheaply than NASA^[3].

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket costs around USD 62 million per launch, while larger rockets such as the Falcon Heavy can cost up to USD 90 million. Meanwhile, NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) is estimated to cost more than USD 2 billion per launch.

Unlike single rockets, reusable rockets can be recovered and re-launched repeatedly into space.

E. Musk promises to deliver a self-driving taxi by 2027

Musk unveiled the long-awaited Tesla robot taxi, Cybercab, at Warner Bros. studio in California^[4].

This futuristic vehicle has no pedals and no steering wheel and is the centerpiece of Tesla's futuristic vehicle portfolio. Musk claims that self-driving cars are safer and can be profitable but questioned whether they can really be produced "by 2027".

The Cybercab is expected to cost less than USD 30 000, although analysts question whether such a price is realistic without any subsidies.

E. Musk also announced that Tesla models will feature fully autonomous technology next year, pending regulatory approval.

A driverless taxi that has already received mixed reactions on the streets of San Francisco

The robot car is not such a hot new thing, as taxis have been operating in San Francisco for some time now, picking up passengers from point A and taking them to point B without a driver.

Despite the advances in technology, some Americans have expressed concern about the unsafety of robot taxis and have warned passengers to be cautious. The activist group Safe Street Rebel has even taken action by placing cones on robot taxis to turn them off, reflecting the public's distrust.

In August 2023, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted to allow Waymo and Cruise to operate 24 hours a day, despite Uber drivers' fears of job losses and complaints from city services about blocked streets. Critics say the technology is not ready, while supporters believe that robot couriers are a safer alternative to human drivers^[5].

Companies such as Waymo and Cruise claim that their vehicles are safe because they have already covered many kilometers without pedestrian accidents.