From envisioning a future of rockets flying people around Earth to cooking up new ways to use solar panels, Tesla's (TSLA) - Get Report Elon Musk has a lot going on.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel told the Chicago Tribune recently that he is having preliminary discussions with Musk to use a high-tech digger to bore out an underground high-speed rail line connecting the downtown to O'Hare International Airport. Musk is the founder of The Boring Co., which seeks to develop machines and techniques for digging tunnels.

Musk has said he would like to dig a network of underground roads that could reduce traffic in populous cities. In May, Boring began drilling its first tunnel that Musk said will run from the Los Angeles International Airport to Culver City, Santa Monica, Westwood and Sherman Oaks. He said future tunnels will cover the greater Los Angeles area. And maybe the U.K., seeing as Virgin Group founder Richard Branson is a hyperloop investor and board member.

Here are six other next-generation ideas on which Musk's companies are working.

Musk even has a battery bet.

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