TeslaOct 16, 20263 mins read

Tesla’s New Roadster Flies in Elon Musk’s Latest Demo

Elon Musk unveiled Tesla’s next-generation Roadster in a livestreamed event, showing a thruster-assisted demonstration, new performance claims, and fresh questions about street legality.

Business Insider

Elon Musk just unveiled a Tesla Roadster that flies

Tesla’s Roadster Demo Was Built Around Flight

Tesla unveiled its next-generation Roadster at a livestreamed event, showing the car drive up a large curved ramp, flip, and land safely. The demonstration used thrusters attached to the bottom of the vehicle, according to the report. Elon Musk said the car uses an “advanced ultra-high pressure air tank” and described altitude-control thrusters and rear main thrusters that let it “fly like a rocket.”

The Headline Specs Are Extreme, But Configuration Matters

Tesla showed a recorded demonstration of the Roadster reaching 60 mph in .81 seconds. The company also shared that the car is a two-seater with about 300 miles of range and a top speed over 230 mph. Some capabilities appear tied to whether the Roadster has “rocket” thrusters; if the car is “air ready” and has the rocket, the article says it seats only one.

Pricing Signals a Halo Product, Not a Mass-Market EV

Tesla’s website lists three configurations for purchase: performance, thrust, and rocket. The performance trim requires an immediate $5,000 deposit, with another $45,000 due in 10 days, while the thrust version requires a $250,000 deposit. The rocket trim appears to be available by “invite only,” underscoring that this Roadster is positioned as a specialty vehicle.

Street Legality and Safety Questions Remain Central

The Roadster appears to diverge from some familiar Tesla design choices, including mechanical door latches and a lack of visible side-view mirrors. The article notes that the missing mirrors raise questions about how the vehicle will meet federal street-legal standards. Musk also said the Roadster will be Tesla’s only vehicle meant to be driven manually and described it as not “necessarily a safety-optimized car.”

The Reveal Follows Years of Delays and Hype

The Roadster name dates back to Tesla’s first production vehicle, which launched in California in 2008 and ended production in 2012. Musk first showed a second-generation Roadster in November 2017, when Tesla claimed a 1.9-second zero-to-60-mph time, more than 600 miles of range, and a top speed above 250 mph. The new reveal arrives after years of waiting by deposit holders and after Musk said Tesla had prioritized robotics and autonomy programs.