Tesla’s flying Roadster has moved closer to production after a prototype performed an airborne stunt at SpaceX’s rocket testing facility in McGregor, Texas.
During a livestreamed demonstration, the electric sports car drove upside down along a curved ramp before launching into the air, rotating 180 degrees with bursts of compressed air and landing on its wheels. It then used its thrusters to jump over a line-up of Tesla vehicles, including a Cybertruck and a Tesla Semi.
Elon Musk later wrote on X: “Turns out the future does have flying cars.”
Tesla says production of the redesigned Roadster will begin in 2028, eight years later than the original target. The car was first unveiled in 2017 as a four-seat electric supercar capable of accelerating from zero to 60mph in 1.9 seconds, with a claimed range of 620 miles.
The company took reservations of $50,000, or $250,000 for one of 1,000 limited Founders Series cars. The launch date was subsequently missed, while Musk treated the project as a lower priority than Tesla’s other programmes and also cited supply chain shortages for earlier delays.
Tesla flying Roadster comes in three versions
The latest model is offered in three versions. The Performance is a two-seat model described as “road ready”, with active aerodynamics and a fan-powered suction system.
The two-seat Thrust version adds rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters, which Tesla says will enable acceleration from zero to 60mph in less than a second. The invitation-only Rocket model is a single-seater with 10 thrusters arranged around the vehicle and is the version capable of briefly taking flight.
Tesla engineering vice president Lars Moravy said the thrusters use about 600 litres of rechargeable compressed air. The company claims the Roadster will have a top speed of more than 230mph.
The redesign has also reduced the car’s claimed range to more than 300 miles, less than half the figure announced in 2017. It now seats no more than two people.
The demonstration showed only short aerial manoeuvres rather than sustained flight, and Tesla has not said how long or how far the vehicle can remain airborne. The company’s website states that the Rocket version is not approved for public road use.
The regulatory position remains unclear. The Federal Aviation Administration has said the vehicle does not meet its definition of an aircraft and would therefore not require certification as airworthy, while the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration relies largely on manufacturers to certify that their vehicles meet federal safety standards. The Transportation Department said the agency would continue to monitor the situation.
Musk also cautioned against viewing the vehicle as a conventional safety-focused car, saying during the reveal: “This is not necessarily a safety-optimized car, OK?”
A showcase for Tesla rather than a volume seller
Reservations for the new versions are costly. Tesla is asking for $50,000 for the Performance model and $250,000 for the Thrust version. The Rocket is available only by invitation and has no publicly disclosed reservation fee, while final prices for all three models have yet to be announced.
Tesla has not said what will happen to customers who paid deposits for the original Roadster. Musk said in 2023 that the car would “definitely not gonna be a huge contributor to revenue”, reflecting its role as a specialist showcase rather than a mass-market vehicle.
The Roadster also sits uneasily alongside Tesla’s growing focus on autonomous driving and humanoid robots. Musk has said it will eventually be the only manually driven car the company makes.
Despite that, no one was behind the wheel during the demonstration. The car was operated autonomously for safety reasons, with a mannequin in a SpaceX spacesuit occupying the driver’s seat.
