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 site in McGregor, Texas, nine years after it first showed the car. The two-seat electric sports car uses cold-gas thrusters, built with SpaceX engineers, to jump, flip, and land.
In the livestreamed demo, the car drove up a curved ramp and used suction fans to stay attached as it turned upside down, Fox Business reported. Thrusters then launched it off the ramp, flipped it in the air, and landed it. In a second run, it jumped over a row of Tesla vehicles, including a Semi truck.
Lars Moravy, Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering, said 10 thrusters linked to 600 litres of compressed air lift and spin the car, according to TechCrunch. The air tanks can be refilled.
Tesla also showed a recorded test of the car going from 0 to 97km/h (60mph) in 0.81 seconds. The figure has not been independently verified. In 2017, Tesla promised 1.9 seconds.
The Roadster comes in three versions. Tesla’s Roadster page says the Thrust model, which adds rear thrusters, reaches 97km/h in under one second. Electrek reported listings of under 1.6 seconds for the Performance model and under 0.59 seconds for the invite-only, single-seat Rocket, which tops 370km/h (230mph).
Tesla gave no price for any version. Instead, it is taking reservations of $50,000 for the Performance model and $250,000 for the Thrust, the same deposit structure it set out last month. Musk said production will begin in 2028.
The car was originally due in 2020, and its reveal had been pushed back repeatedly. The event itself was moved from 1 October because of bad weather.
“Yeah, depends on your street,” Musk said when asked if the car was street legal, Business Insider reported.
However, Tesla’s Roadster page says the Rocket version is not approved for public road use.
Business Insider also argued that the reveal works as a recruiting pitch for engineers, as Tesla spends heavily on AI and robotics, including a $25bn capex plan for 2026. Musk has linked product events to hiring before.
He said recruiting was the main reason for a 2019 Neuralink presentation. In 2021, he wrote that attracting top AI talent was the sole goal of Tesla’s AI Day.