Tesla has demonstrated a new version of its Roadster electric sports car performing midair flips using technology developed with SpaceX, while claiming the vehicle can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than a second.
The demonstration took place on Thursday, October 15, at a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas, where the vehicle launched off a ramp, flipped in the air and landed on the other side. Tesla also showed the car leaping over a line of vehicles and a semi-truck.
The spectacle, which included compressed-gas thrusters designed to propel the vehicle beyond the limits of conventional tyre grip, was a major feature of the long-awaited Roadster unveiling. Brandspur Brand News reports that Tesla is targeting 2028 to begin production of the redesigned electric car.
Tesla chief executive Elon Musk described the display as evidence of a future in which cars could fly, while vice-president of vehicle engineering Lars Moravy also declared that flying cars were real.
The company says the Roadster’s thruster system can generate four to five times the force available through tyre grip alone, potentially allowing substantially faster acceleration. Tesla demonstrated a sub-second sprint from zero to 60 mph during the event, although the supplied report does not provide independent performance verification.
The unveiling comes almost nine years after Tesla first presented the Roadster concept in 2017. At the time, the company projected deliveries would begin in 2020, a target that was not met.
Tesla has now set 2028 as its production start date, but has yet to disclose the price of the new model at the latest event. Its reservation page listed a $50,000 payment for the Performance version and $250,000 for the Thrust model, which features acceleration thrusters. An invitation-only Rocket variant is described as a single-seat vehicle equipped with a full flight system.
The original Roadster concept carried a quoted starting price of $200,000. It remains unclear from the supplied information whether Tesla will retain that price for any version of the redesigned vehicle.
The launch places the spotlight on Tesla’s attempt to combine high-performance electric motoring with SpaceX-inspired propulsion technology. However, the vehicle’s production timeline, final pricing and the practical capabilities of its thruster system will be important factors as the company moves towards its stated 2028 target.
