Technology and Scienceupdated 2h ago2 min read
Elon Musk Unveils Tesla Roadster Flying Car With SpaceX Thrusters in Texas
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Tesla unveiled Roadster 2 with SpaceX-developed propulsion enabling short flight at McGregor, Texas. Demonstration used rocket thrusters to lift off and perform aerial maneuvers during live event.
28 outlets told this the same way.
Roadster Unveiled in Texas
Elon Musk unveiled Tesla's new Roadster at a facility owned by his SpaceX company in Texas, presenting a car he said could “fly” using thrusters. Musk told the crowd, “We need an audience to demonstrate that this isn’t AI or SI,” before the Roadster drove up and off a steep ramp, spun in the air, and landed using air jets. The Roadster drove up and off a steep ramp, spun in the air, and landed using air jets, while the vehicle was presented as equipped with thrusters that apparently allow it to hover and turn in mid-air.
Tesla and SpaceX engineers demonstrated the Roadster climbing a curved ramp until it was upside down, executing a somersault in the air, and landing in a controlled manner on its four wheels, according to 20Minutos. The Roadster presentation also included a second demonstration in which the car lifted off to fly over a row of five Teslas, as 20Minutos reported.
Variants, Thrusters, and Claims
Tesla presented the Roadster in three versions, with 20Minutos reporting Performance, Thrust, and Rocket as the named configurations. The Performance variant is conceived for road use and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.6 seconds, while the Thrust variant adds cold-gas thrusters and can catapult from 0 to 97 km/h in under a second. The Rocket version has a single seat and distributes cold-gas thrusters around the perimeter of the chassis, enabling it to fly and perform lateral pirouettes, with acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in under 0.59 seconds.
El Confidencial framed the event as “pure trickery and steam,” saying the Roadster “did a backflip and hovered on air boosters to touch down again,” while also criticizing the lack of a credible price or date. Attasiaa said technical reports highlighted propulsion systems inspired by space technology, including the possibility of adopting a cold-gas propulsion system known as “Cold-gas Thrusters,” while also stating that published information was not sufficient to prove all claims would be included in a final production version.
Reservations and Regulatory Uncertainty
Tesla opened a reservation campaign for the Roadster, with 20Minutos reporting that the Performance version requires an initial deposit of $5,000 and another $45,000 within the next ten days. The Thrust reservation asks for an initial payment of $5,000 followed by another of $245,000 within ten days, while the Rocket version cannot be reserved because it will not be for sale. Tesla's website notes the planned flying model is not approved for public road use, and would-be buyers can place a reservation online with a $5,000 deposit for a non-flying model of the Roadster.
“The Performance version requires an initial deposit of $5,000 and a subsequent payment of another $45,000 within the next ten days.”
Musk told the crowd, “The success is not guaranteed,” and Musk said the car was done “to make sure we don’t kill anyone.” Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum vertical flight specialist Roger Connor said, “We’re not talking about sustained flight,” and the challenge of transitioning from vertical ascent to forward movement was described as a key obstacle.