Tesla unveils rocket-powered Roadster prototype, targets 2028 production

Tesla has unveiled a prototype of its next-generation Roadster sports car that uses rocket technology to briefly lift off the ground. Elon Musk said the company plans to begin production in 2028.

The demonstration held on Thursday, October 15, at a SpaceX testing facility in Texas, United States. The two-seater vehicle performed several manoeuvres, including driving upside down before a short airborne movement. No driver was inside the car during the test.

Why Tesla ran the test without a driver

Musk said the decision to keep a driver out was deliberate, "to make sure we don’t kill anyone." He added: "Success is not guaranteed. I mean that. It’ll probably work, but if it doesn’t work, we’re at a safe distance."

CNN reported that the car relies on 10 nozzles and high-pressure air tanks to produce thrust. Musk also claimed the Roadster could accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than a second.

Tesla and SpaceX collaboration

The project brings together Tesla, the electric vehicle company, and SpaceX, Musk’s rocket firm. Musk described the development as "the results of what happens when you have a collaboration with the world’s best car company and the world’s best rocket company."

He also addressed scepticism among spectators, saying the live audience could confirm that the demonstration was genuine. He said: "We need an audience to prove that it’s not AI or SI. So you guys can tell people you saw it with your eyes, because what you see with your eyes, you will not believe."

Experts question practical flight

Despite the demonstration, some aviation specialists have questioned whether the vehicle can achieve sustained flight or become a practical flying car. Roger Conner, curator for vertical flight at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, told CNN that engineering a vehicle capable of operating on roads and in the air presents significant challenges.

He said: "Aircraft are extremely sensitive to weight, whereas with ground vehicles you want them to have bumpers and crumple zones and all that."

Musk has set 2028 as Tesla’s target year to begin production of the new Roadster. But the prototype has yet to demonstrate sustained flight or establish its practicality as a vehicle capable of operating reliably on roads and in the air. Questions also remain about safety, engineering requirements and the cost of bringing the technology to market.

Separately, Musk’s neurotech startup Neuralink has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration in the USA to conduct its first clinical trial of installing microchips in humans. The brain implant, called the Link, is designed to help patients with severe paralysis control external technologies using neural signals.