Elon Musk indicates off ‘flying’ Tesla Roadster after years of delays
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Elon Musk showed off a new vehicle prototype Thursday that can briefly launch itself into the air using rocket-inspired thrusters.
Key facts
Prospective buyers can reserve the base model for an initial deposit of $50,000, or $250,000 for the Thrust augment
Minutes later, it sped away with a 0.81-second 0-60 mph time, according to Tesla, which is more than a second faster than the company’s current fastest time with the now-discontinued Model S Plaid
The second-generation Roadster was first unveiled in 2017, with Musk initially promising production in 2020
Musk said that, when it releases, he wants it to “crack halfway to the speed of sound,” or about 383 mph, more than 150 mph faster than the current announced top speed
Summary
The company has yet to announce a price or release date, though the Tesla and SpaceX CEO said production would not begin until 2028. In a stunt-filled demonstration at a SpaceX testing facility in Texas, Musk told the live audience that what they were about to see “was not AI or SI.” The vehicle, a collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX, then slowly drove up a curved ramp shaped like half of a roller coaster loop before accelerating and launching itself off the ramp, hurdling over five other Tesla vehicles and bringing itself to a soft landing in a cloud of condensation using cold-gas thrusters. Tesla says a fan-based suction system creates downforce to hold the vehicle against the road’s surface, while self-refilling cold-gas thrusters power its airborne maneuvers.