Musk unveils Tesla Roadster 2, claiming it will be the world's first flying car
The Tesla chief demonstrated the two-seater at SpaceX's Texas facility, saying it uses thrusters to fly "like a rocket" and can reach 60mph in under a second.
At a glance
- Musk unveiled the Tesla Roadster 2 at SpaceX's Texas test facility, claiming it is the world's first flying car.
- Musk said the two-seat sports car has thrusters, can reach 60mph in under a second and was driven remotely in the demo.
- Tesla says production starts in 2028 at over $200,000, and flying the car is not permitted on public roads.
Elon Musk unveiled the Tesla Roadster 2 at SpaceX's rocket development and testing facility in Texas on Thursday, claiming the two-person sports car will be the world's first flying car and that it uses technology from his aerospace company to "basically fly like a rocket".
Musk said the vehicle could accelerate from 0 to 60mph in a record time of less than a second, and that it is fitted with thrusters. Video of the event showed the Roadster driving up a curved ramp and using suction to grip the surface upside down, before using thrusters to flip, fly and land. It was controlled remotely, Musk said, "to make sure we don't kill anyone".
Musk: 'Flying cars are real'
Later in the demonstration the car used its jets to leap over a line of Tesla's existing models and then accelerated to 60mph.
"Flying cars are real," Musk told the audience at the event. "It's got altitude controls, thrusters and main thrusters in the rear. So it can basically fly like a rocket, it can do rolls, crazy gymnastics."
He acknowledged the legal and safety questions surrounding the prototype, saying he was "not sure it's necessarily legal in all jurisdictions" and describing it as "not necessarily a safety optimised car but it takes the fun meter to 11".
In a post on his social media site X alongside video from the event, Musk wrote: "Turns out the future does have flying cars."
Change of heart and production plans
The presentation marks a shift for Musk, who in 2014 expressed scepticism about a future with flying vehicles. Three years later he announced development of the Roadster 2, saying it was intended to create an electric sports car "to give a hardcore smackdown to gasoline cars". Tesla says the model will go into production in 2028 and be priced in excess of $200,000 (£150,000).
After the event, a reservation website for people expressing interest in the Roadster 2 listed deposits for different versions: £50,000 for a "performance" version and $250,000 for a "thrust" version. A "rocket" variant with a "full flight system" was labelled as available by invitation only. Tesla added that flying the car is not permitted on public roads.
Source: The Guardian Business.
Questions and answers
- What is the Tesla Roadster 2?
- It is a two-person electric sports car that Elon Musk says will be the world's first flying car, using thrusters and technology from SpaceX. Tesla says it will go into production in 2028.
- How fast is the Tesla Roadster 2?
- Musk said it can go from 0 to 60mph in a record time of less than a second, and that it has main thrusters in the rear allowing rolls and other manoeuvres.
- Can the flying Tesla Roadster be driven on public roads?
- Tesla says flying it is not permitted on public roads, and Musk said he was not sure the prototype is necessarily legal in all jurisdictions.
