Overview
- Tesla staged a high‑profile presentation in Waco that showed the new Roadster drive up an inverted ramp, make a short flight‑like maneuver and land, footage and reports said on Saturday.
- Company engineers described a 10‑thruster cold‑gas system tied to a roughly 600‑liter pressure tank and said every usable cavity will be filled with carbon‑fiber overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs).
- Tesla published a three‑tier lineup and reservation terms that require large deposits for higher trims, set a target production start around 2028, and left final prices unspecified.
- The top 'Rocket' variant that performed the flight demo will be invitation‑only and is not street‑legal, and media coverage notes COPV links to past SpaceX incidents as part of safety scrutiny.
- Key unanswered issues include independent verification of Tesla's 0–60 mph in 0.81‑second claim, how regulators will treat a road vehicle with flight capability, and the public‑safety rules that would follow.