Tesla launches ‘flying’ Roadster sports EV as Elon Musk hails ‘the future’
Tesla’s long-awaited sports car used SpaceX-developed thrusters to fly off a ramp and hit 60 mph in under a second, the company said.
- On Thursday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk demonstrated the new Roadster at SpaceX's McGregor, Texas facility, using high-powered fans and thrusters to drive the electric supercar upside down and perform mid-air barrel rolls.
- Originally unveiled in 2017, the Roadster project suffered nearly nine years of delays while Tesla prioritized mass-market vehicles like the Model Y and Cybertruck, pushing production timelines repeatedly.
- The "Thrust" package adds cold-gas thrusters and suction systems, enabling 0-60 mph acceleration in under 0.9 seconds; customers can reserve a base Roadster for $5,000 upfront, with $45,000 due within 10 days.
- Production is slated for 2028, though Musk acknowledged "success is not guaranteed." Tesla vehicle engineering head Lars Moravy noted thrusters enable "micro adjustments within a fraction of a second," even as Musk warned the vehicle is "not necessarily a safety-optimized car."
- Analysts suggest the event aims to link Tesla and SpaceX operations, though Musk dismissed the project as a "small potato situation" financially; competitors like Rimac and BYD have already released high-performance EVs, leaving Tesla playing catch-up.
383 Articles
383 Articles
Elon Musk unveiled in Texas a new Tesla Roadster with SpaceX thrusters capable of performing real cascades in the air. ...
Live broadcast as proof: The show's creators decided to show all the tricks live so that the audience would have no doubt about their reality.
Tesla presented in Texas the new Roadster, developed together with SpaceX and equipped with thrusters powered by a very high pressure air tank. In the demonstration the prototype runs through a vertical wall, performs maneuvers in the air and accelerates from zero to 96 kilometers per hour in less than a second, according to Elon Musk. The production is scheduled for 2028, eight years after the date initially announced; it remains to be clarifie…
Tesla unveils thruster-equipped Roadster, with production set for 2028
Tesla revealed its second-generation Roadster on 15 October at a SpaceX site in McGregor, Texas. The car uses cold-gas thrusters built with SpaceX to jump, flip, and land. Reservations cost $50,000 or $250,000 depending on the version, and Musk says production starts in 2028. Tesla unveiled its second-generation Roadster on Thursday at a SpaceX test […] This story continues at The Next Web
The sports car jumps over cars and makes a flip in the air.
Elon Musk relies on spectacle: When presenting a new Tesla, the entrepreneur amazed the audience. The car could even fly. However, some important details left Musk open.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 41% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
