Tesla Roadster debut: Elon Musk shows a car lifting off with thrusters

A dramatic Roadster demonstration

The Tesla Roadster was shown Thursday at a SpaceX test facility in Texas, with the event streamed on Tesla’s X account. The car sped up a ramp that curved over, leaving it upside down before it appeared to cling to the surface and shoot into the air. The vehicle rotated 180 degrees in midair and landed on its wheels. Musk called it a “flying” car and said, “Flying cars are real.”

Thrusters and production plans

Musk said the car used “ultra-high-pressure air tanks” to propel itself into the air. He described the project as a collaboration between what he called the world’s best car company and the world’s best rocket company, referring to Tesla and SpaceX.

Production is planned for 2028, Musk said. He also warned that the vehicle’s success was not guaranteed, though he added that it would probably work.

A field facing major hurdles

Technical and regulatory challenges have kept the flying-car sector from becoming established. Electric motors and high-performance batteries have made designs more seriously considered in recent years. American aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss introduced a flying-car prototype in 1917.

SpaceX expands its reach

Musk has continued pushing his companies into new industries. SpaceX said a week earlier that it had agreed to buy radio-spectrum licenses for its Starlink Mobile satellite business, enabling cellular service inside buildings.