Elon Musk’s tunneling company, the Boring Company, is working with Nevada officials on a potential tunnel project connecting Reno to Tesla’s Gigafactory, according to a January 16 report by Fortune magazine.
The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN), a state-affiliated nonprofit that supports business expansion, paid the Boring Company $50,000 in October 2025 to produce conceptual designs and a feasibility study for the tunnel. The project could reduce traffic and accidents along the nine-mile stretch of Interstate 80 leading to USA Parkway.
About 22,000 employees work at the Industrial Center, with nearly 8,000 employed by Tesla and over 4,000 by Panasonic. Most of the workforce lives in Reno or Sparks, contributing to congestion along the I-80 corridor.
Emails indicate that Tesla and Panasonic have been in contact with the governor’s office to discuss transportation alternatives, including commuter rail on freight lines, while also supporting EDAWN’s study of the tunnel concept.
Details about the tunnel’s length, cost, or vehicle types, including potential use by autonomous vehicles, have not been released.
The Boring Company has pursued similar projects in Las Vegas, where it operates a four-mile tunnel loop for electric vehicles. Nevada Department of Transportation documents show that the company has been interested in a Reno-to-Gigafactory tunnel since at least 2019.
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