Elon Musk showed off a new vehicle prototype Thursday that can briefly launch itself into the air using rocket-inspired thrusters. The Tesla Roadster made its debut eight years after it was first announced.
The company has yet to announce a price or release date, though the Tesla and SpaceX CEO said production would not begin until 2028.
In a stunt-filled demonstration at a SpaceX testing facility in Texas, Musk told the live audience that what they were about to see “was not AI or SI.”
The vehicle, a collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX, then slowly drove up a curved ramp shaped like half of a roller coaster loop before accelerating and launching itself off the ramp, hurdling over five other Tesla vehicles and bringing itself to a soft landing in a cloud of condensation using cold-gas thrusters.
“Well, it worked!” Musk said after the stunt, adding that “it’s not necessarily a safety-optimized car.”
Tesla says a fan-based suction system creates downforce to hold the vehicle against the road’s surface, while self-refilling cold-gas thrusters power its airborne maneuvers. He quipped, “This car really sucks.”
Then the car accelerated toward the same five cars and jumped 27 feet in the air, according to Tesla, while performing a barrel roll. It again brought itself down gently.
Minutes later, it sped away with a 0.81-second 0-60 mph time, according to Tesla, which is more than a second faster than the company’s current fastest time with the now-discontinued Model S Plaid. Tesla plans to offer three versions of the vehicle.
The base Performance car will be “road-ready,” featuring the suction system but no thrusters, while the “race-ready” Thrust version will add rear-mounted thrusters for acceleration. The “air-ready” Rocket version will be invite-only; it will seat one person and contain the cold-gas thrusters along the perimeter of the car, making it capable of the acrobatics shown in the live demonstration, according to Tesla.
The flying features raise questions about where and how customers would be allowed to use the vehicle. Musk acknowledged the Roadster might not be legal in every jurisdiction, while Tesla says the Rocket version is not approved for public roads.
The second-generation Roadster was first unveiled in 2017, with Musk initially promising production in 2020. The company has repeatedly pushed back that timeline while continuing to accept reservations from prospective buyers.
Musk said that, when it releases, he wants it to “crack halfway to the speed of sound,” or about 383 mph, more than 150 mph faster than the current announced top speed. According to Musk, when it is released, it will be able to go 300 miles on a single charge, less than half of what he had originally promised when he announced the car.
Prospective buyers can reserve the base model for an initial deposit of $50,000, or $250,000 for the Thrust augment.