--- title: "Elon Musk Promises Tesla Referral Program Members Chance to Drive Tunnel Boring Machine" description: "A boring reward for Tesla's most dedicated customers." date: "2017-08-23" modified: "2017-08-24" authors: - name: "Kyle Cheromcha" job_title: "Editor-in-Chief" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kyle-cheromcha" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/tech/13762/elon-musk-promises-tesla-referral-program-members-chance-to-drive-tunnel-boring-machine" categories: - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Tesla News" tags: - "Electric Vehicle" - "Elon Musk" - "reward" - "Tesla" - "the boring company" - "Tunnel" --- # Elon Musk Promises Tesla Referral Program Members Chance to Drive Tunnel Boring Machine ![]() *\www.thedrive.com\* It's abundantly clear by now that Tesla is a pretty singular company. From developing a [Lamborghini-spanking electric SUV](), to taking Model 3 deposits [for a car that hasn't been even been built yet](), to [introducing vehicle features based off Twitter suggestions](), Tesla marches to the beat of its own drum. Or rather, Elon Musk's. And this [latest bit of news via *Teslarati*]() about the company's famous referral program, where customers receive special rewards and incentives based on how many friends they can bring into the fold, hammers that home even further: Convince enough buddies to buy a Tesla, and you can drive one of The Boring Company's fancy electric tunnel-boring machines. Specifically, the screenshots sent to *Teslarati* read: "You’ve unlocked the second secret level. Share your referral code to give 5 more of your friends free unlimited Supercharging and $1,000 off a new Model S or Model X. Once all 5 take delivery, we’ll give you the opportunity to drive an electric tunnel boring machine with The Boring Company in Hawthorne, CA." Yes, you read that correctly. Get enough people to buy a $80,000 electric performance car, and you'll have a chance to climb behind the wheel (is there a wheel?) of a giant, hulking, multi-ton piece of construction equipment nicknamed "Godot." The machine is currently sitting about fifteen feet below the parking lot at Tesla's office in Hawthorne, California, where it's been crawling through a test trench Musk & Co. [dug earlier this year.]() It's the first piece of the puzzle as Musk endeavors to build a network of underground, multi-purpose transportation tunnels to ease traffic congestion on the surface. While his plans have been met with [varying levels of skepticism]() and incredulity from public officials, [Musk told *Gizmodo*]() that the tunnel-boring reward for Tesla owners is absolutely real, adding "I've been down there on the machine and it's mind-blowing." Probably not as mind-blowing as a Tesla Model S P100D in Ludicrous Mode, but it does sound like a pretty cool experience for a lucky few Tesla owners. And there are probably more in the pipeline: the notification [shared with *Teslarati*]() ends by promising "more amazing adventures that money can't buy" for continued referrals. ## Author Overseeing an expert staff of writers and editors from his lair in Los Angeles, Kyle shapes The Drive’s singular approach to covering the automotive industry and car culture. He’s been with the site as a writer since 2017, taking over as editor in 2019. On a daily basis, Kyle is responsible for directing The Drive's editorial news and car review content strategies, setting special coverage priorities, managing complex reporting projects, and ensuring what you read on the page meets our high internal standards for quality and trustworthiness. He is also the executive producer of The Drive's YouTube channel, which was relaunched in February 2024 to great acclaim and has accumulated over 14M new views in its first year back on the scene. He hosts a biweekly series on the channel where he breaks down fascinating and complicated stories from the automotive world. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()