Tesla has unveiled a prototype of its new Roadster sports car capable of briefly lifting off the ground using rocket technology, with the electric vehicle manufacturer targeting 2028 for production.
According to CNN, the demonstration took place on Thursday at a SpaceX testing facility in Texas, United States, where the two-seater vehicle reportedly performed several manoeuvres, including driving upside down before briefly rising into the air.
The prototype was operated remotely without a driver during the demonstration. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said the precaution was intended to prevent injuries in case the test failed.
“We don’t kill anyone,” Musk said, explaining the decision to operate the vehicle without a driver.
“Success is not guaranteed. I mean that. It’ll probably work, but if it doesn’t work, we’re at a safe distance,” he added.
CNN reported that the vehicle relies on 10 nozzles and high-pressure air tanks to generate thrust. Musk also claimed that the Roadster could accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than a second.
The project brings together Tesla’s electric vehicle technology and the rocket engineering capabilities of SpaceX, another company led by Musk.
Describing the collaboration, Musk said the vehicle was the product of working with “the world’s best car company and the world’s best rocket company”.
He also sought to convince spectators that what they witnessed was real, amid concerns about the growing sophistication of artificial intelligence-generated videos.
“We need an audience to prove that it’s not AI or SI. So you guys can tell people you saw it with your eyes, because what you see with your eyes, you will not believe,” he said.
Despite the dramatic demonstration, the prototype’s ability to sustain flight and function as a practical means of transportation remains uncertain.
Roger Conner, curator for vertical flight at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, told CNN that designing a vehicle capable of operating both on roads and in the air presents considerable engineering difficulties.
He explained that aircraft must be extremely lightweight to fly efficiently, while road vehicles require additional weight and structural features, including bumpers and crumple zones, to protect occupants during collisions.
“Inevitably, something that is a hybrid between the two is going to be a poor performing aircraft and a poor performing vehicle, and also quite expensive,” Conner said.
He also questioned whether the Roadster’s brief movement into the air should be classified as flight in the conventional sense.
“We’re not talking about sustained flight. We are literally talking about hopping,” he said.
However, Jim Dukhovny, chief executive of flying car startup Alef, maintained that the technology was achievable, although he acknowledged the technical challenges involved in developing vehicles that can transition safely from vertical take-off to forward movement.
“It absolutely is 100% feasible,” Dukhovny told CNN.
He said the transition from vertical ascent to forward flight remained one of the most difficult aspects of developing electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, commonly known as eVTOLs.
“That being said, the hardest part on all eVTOLs, and for us, it’s a transition from (rising) vertical to (moving) forward. It needs to be extremely careful, making sure you do not lose lift, and making sure it’s very stable,” he said.
CNN also reported that Alef’s prototype weighs approximately 254 pounds, is powered by eight propellers and is designed to accommodate one person.
Musk said Tesla planned to begin producing the new Roadster in 2028, although the company’s ability to deliver a commercially viable flying vehicle remains to be demonstrated.
The latest prototype reflects Musk’s broader ambition to expand the possibilities of vehicle technology beyond conventional electric cars. However, questions surrounding safety, cost, regulatory approval and sustained flight are likely to shape the prospects of the project as development continues.
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