Overview
- Tesla presented a Roadster prototype Thursday night at a SpaceX test site near Waco, Texas, and livestreamed the demo on X.
- The car used cold‑gas thrusters developed with SpaceX engineers to perform brief hover and aerobatic stunts while a multimode suction/ventilator system generated claimed downforce up to about 2 g.
- Tesla showed an acceleration run it said reached 0–60 mph in 0.81 seconds and announced three variants—Performance, Thrust, and an invitation‑only Rocket model that Tesla said will not be permitted to fly on public roads.
- The company set a 2028 production target and published reservation rules with large deposits, but it did not release final prices, battery size, curb weight, production volumes or independent test data.
- Regulators, safety experts and potential buyers face immediate practical questions about road legality, how the flight-capable systems will be certified or restricted, and where the limited Rocket version will be sold.