Tesla Unveils Rocket-Powered Roadster Prototype That Can Hop Into the Air, Targets 2028 Production

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has unveiled a prototype of the company’s next-generation Roadster sports car, featuring rocket-inspired technology designed to lift the vehicle briefly into the air, with production targeted for 2028.

According to CNN, the demonstration took place on Thursday at a SpaceX testing facility in Texas, United States. During the test, the two-seater prototype reportedly performed several manoeuvres, including driving upside down before making a short airborne movement.

The vehicle was operated without a driver during the demonstration. Musk explained that the precaution was intended to minimise the risk of injury if the test went wrong.

“Success is not guaranteed. I mean that. It’ll probably work, but if it doesn’t work, we’re at a safe distance,” Musk said, according to CNN.

The prototype reportedly uses 10 nozzles and high-pressure air tanks to generate thrust. Musk also claimed that the vehicle could accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than a second, although the performance claim has not been independently established in the report.

Musk attributed the technology to collaboration between Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, and SpaceX, his rocket company. He said the demonstration was also intended to show spectators that the project was real, rather than an artificial intelligence-generated video.

However, the demonstration has raised questions about whether the Roadster can achieve sustained flight or function as a practical vehicle for everyday use. Roger Conner, curator for vertical flight at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, told CNN that combining a road car’s structural requirements with those of an aircraft presents major engineering challenges. He noted that aircraft must be lightweight, while road vehicles require features such as bumpers and crumple zones for passenger protection.

Conner also questioned whether the brief airborne movement could be considered flight in the conventional sense, describing it as a short “hop” rather than sustained flight. Jim Dukhovny, chief executive of flying-car startup Alef, told CNN that the technology was feasible but stressed that safely transitioning from vertical take-off to forward movement remains a significant challenge for electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles.

CNN reported that Alef’s prototype weighs approximately 254 pounds, uses eight propellers and is designed to carry one person. Musk, meanwhile, said Tesla plans to begin production of the new Roadster in 2028. Whether the vehicle’s rocket-assisted capabilities will make it into a production model, and how they would work in practical driving conditions, remain open questions.