Elon Musk unveiled a Tesla Roadster capable of aboveground hovering at a SpaceX facility in Texas on Thursday, sparking a wave of reactions on X from politicians, celebrities and Tesla enthusiasts who compared the demonstration to a scene from science fiction. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, Kari Lake and Spencer Pratt were among those marveling at the vehicle's apparent ability to lift off and maneuver above the ground in a clip that quickly gained 1.7 million views. While the footage stunned social media, Musk has hinted for years that Tesla's next-generation Roadster could blur the line between car and aircraft through a SpaceX-inspired thruster package.
He previously suggested the vehicle could hover and make short jumps using cold-gas thrusters before Thursday's dramatic demonstration. Tesla unveiled its long-delayed next-generation Roadster during a livestreamed event from SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas, on Thursday. The presentation featured Musk, Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen and vice president of vehicle engineering Lars Moravy.
During the event, Musk told the crowd they would see "some crazy stuff" resulting from a collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX, which he called the world's best car company and the world's best rocket company. He said it's "better than any James Bond car." "Success is not guaranteed," Musk said. "It'll probably work, but if it doesn't work, we're at a safe distance.
Excitement is 100 percent guaranteed." He said it would defy physics and wasn't necessarily "safety optimized." During the presentation, Tesla also said the Roadster can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than one second. Musk said production of the vehicle is expected to begin in 2028, nearly a decade after Tesla first unveiled the redesigned Roadster and started taking reservations. Musk said the next-generation model would enter production in 2028.
Tesla has not announced updated pricing following Thursday's reveal. When reservations originally opened, Tesla listed a base Roadster at $200,000, while a limited "Founders Series" model carried a $250,000 price tag. Given nearly a decade of delays, inflation and the addition of the SpaceX package, analysts expect any production version to command a substantially higher price.
Experts have long noted that a vehicle capable of lifting off the ground would likely face scrutiny from federal regulators. According to reporting ahead of the launch, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules generally classify anything that flies above the ground as an aircraft, while specialized regulations already exist for electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, known as eVTOLs. Industry observers have suggested that any future Roadster aerial functions would likely be limited to controlled environments rather than unrestricted use over public roads and neighborhoods.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
