Tesla unveils Roadster with SpaceX thrusters that flies

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 02:39 · Archive

Tesla demonstrated a redesigned Roadster equipped with SpaceX-powered thrusters that can make the car fly and accelerate from 0 to 60mph in under one second.

Tesla demonstrated its redesigned second-generation Roadster at an event near Waco, Texas, on Thursday. The car, equipped with SpaceX-powered cold-gas thrusters, performed a series of aerial manoeuvres including lifting itself over Tesla's entire product line-up—a Cybercab, Cybertruck, Tesla Semi, Model Y, and Model 3—while in motion. The car also drove upside down on an inverted ramp and landed back on the pavement below. Tesla said the vehicle achieved 0 to 60 miles per hour acceleration in under one second.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk described the Roadster as "the best of the last of the human-driven cars" and said that the thruster technology would allow owners to perform these manoeuvres whenever they chose. Tesla vehicle engineering head Lars Moravy confirmed that four thrusters enable the flying capability. The company will offer the Roadster in three trims: 'Performance', which is road-ready and seats two; 'Thrust', which is race-ready with rear-mounted thrusters and seats two; and 'Rocket', which is air-ready, seats one, and has ten thrusters positioned around the car. All three trims will have 300 miles of range and be capable of exceeding 230 miles per hour.

The Roadster 2 was first announced in 2017, when Tesla promised deliveries would begin in 2020 at a starting price of $200,000. Early customers placed $50,000 deposits, which would be worth more than $68,000 in 2026 dollars according to Wired. The project was subsequently delayed as Tesla prioritised other vehicles including the Model Y and Cybertruck. Musk has described the Roadster as a "small potato situation" that will not significantly impact Tesla's finances, and has questioned whether it remains "even a car anymore" given its experimental nature.

Tesla has now announced production will begin in 2028, though the company has not disclosed pricing for the new vehicle. Musk said the Roadster is "not necessarily a safety-optimized car".

How it is being reported

• The Tesla Roadster flew, drove upside down, and hit 60mph in under a secondElon Musk promised a flying car. So the Tesla Roadster did exactly that. Tesla demonstrated its next-generation Roadster at an event in Waco, Texas, where the electric supercar drove upside down, briefly flew, and accelerated to 60mph in under a second. It was an impressive demonstration of a car that won't go into production until […]The Verge · 16 Oct, 02:28
• The Tesla Roadster 2 Is Here—and It FliesThe automaker unveiled its next luxury sports car at an event in Texas. It has thrusters on it that can send it airborne.Wired · 16 Oct, 02:22
• Tesla reveals SpaceX-powered Roadster that flies and falls with styleThe new car used thrusters to leap over a Cybercab, Cybertruck, Tesla Semi, Model Y, and Model 3 at a demo in Texas.TechCrunch · 16 Oct, 02:17

In this story: Tesla · SpaceX · Elon Musk · Waco · Texas · Sam Altman

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