Overview
- Tesla demonstrated the prototype at a SpaceX test site on Thursday, showing it cling to an inverted ramp, launch into the air, flip and land using fan suction and thrusters.
- Company engineers said the system pairs a multi‑mode underbody fan with about 600 liters of compressed air feeding 10 cold‑gas thruster nozzles, and Tesla reported a 0–60 mph demo time of 0.81 seconds.
- Tesla published three trims — Performance, Thrust and an invite‑only Rocket — reopened reservations with $50,000 and $250,000 deposits, and said the Rocket model is not approved for public road use.
- The company targets production to begin in 2028 after years of delays and framed the Roadster as a low‑volume halo car rather than a mass‑market model.
- Key questions remain: regulators such as NHTSA or aviation authorities must sign off, independent testing has not validated the claims, and it is unclear which airborne features can reach road‑legal production.