Tesla has unveiled a prototype of its new Roadster sports car that can briefly lift off the ground using rocket technology. Elon Musk says production will begin in 2028.
The demonstration took place on Thursday at a SpaceX test site in Texas, according to CNN. The two-seater car drove through several manoeuvres, including driving upside down. It then made a short move through the air.
No one sat in the car during the test. Musk said this was “to make sure we don’t kill anyone.” He also warned that success was not guaranteed. “It’ll probably work, but if it doesn’t work, we’re at a safe distance,” he said.
How It Works
CNN reported that the car uses 10 nozzles and high-pressure air tanks to create thrust. Musk claimed it can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in under a second.
He credited the work to a partnership between Tesla and SpaceX, which he also runs. He called it the result of teaming up the world’s best car company with the world’s best rocket company.
Musk also urged the audience to trust what they saw. He said the crowd was there to prove the display was not AI or SI, and told them to tell others they saw it with their own eyes.
Experts Raise Doubts
Questions remain over whether the car can achieve sustained flight. There are also doubts about how practical it would be for daily travel.
Roger Conner, curator for vertical flight at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, spoke to CNN about the engineering problems. Aircraft must stay light, he said, while road vehicles need bumpers and crumple zones. A hybrid of the two, in his view, would perform poorly as both an aircraft and a car. It would also be costly.
Conner doubted the demonstration counted as flying in the usual sense. “We are literally talking about hopping,” he said.
Jim Dukhovny, chief executive of flying car startup Alef, was more upbeat. He told CNN the technology is “100% feasible.” He noted, however, that the hardest step for electric vertical take-off aircraft is the shift from rising to moving forward. The vehicle must keep its lift and stay stable during that change.
CNN said Alef’s prototype weighs about 254 pounds. It has eight propellers and carries one person.
For now, the car’s ability to work as a practical flying vehicle remains unproven.
