Elon Musk Unveils ‘Flying’ Car

Elon Musk Unveils ‘Flying’ Tesla Roadster With Thrusters, Targets 2028 Production

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has unveiled a new Roadster sports car equipped with thrusters, describing the vehicle as a potential flying car during a livestreamed event at SpaceX’s facility in Texas.

The demonstration took place on Thursday at a SpaceX test facility and was streamed live on Tesla’s X account.

During the presentation, the vehicle launched from a steep ramp before landing on its wheels, prompting Musk to declare that flying cars were becoming a reality.

“Flying cars are real,” Musk said.

However, the billionaire acknowledged that the project remained uncertain, saying its “success is not guaranteed” but adding that “it will probably work.”

Musk Explains How Roadster Thrusters Will Work

Musk said the vehicle would use ultra-high-pressure air tanks to generate the thrust needed to propel it into the air.

He described the project as the result of collaboration between Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, and SpaceX, the rocket company.

“What happens when you have a collaboration with the world’s best car company and the world’s best rocket company,” Musk said, referring to the two companies.

Musk said production of the vehicle was expected to begin in 2028.

However, the demonstration described in the report involved a ramp-assisted launch and landing. It did not establish that the vehicle had demonstrated sustained, free-flight capability.

Flying Cars Face Technical, Regulatory Challenges

Despite decades of interest in flying cars, technical and regulatory challenges have limited their widespread adoption.

American aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss unveiled an early flying-car prototype in 1917.

The concept has attracted renewed interest in recent years as advances in electric motors and high-performance batteries have encouraged developers to explore new forms of air mobility.

Whether Musk’s Roadster can progress from its demonstrated capabilities to a commercially viable flying vehicle remains uncertain.