Tesla's flying Roadster stunt in Texas is not a car you will be able to buy
Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off the new Roadster in Waco, Texas, with rocket-style thrusters and a mid-air flip. According to The Verge, that version is unlikely to reach regular buyers, and pricing and other commercial details were left out.
Elon Musk, chief executive of electric carmaker Tesla, demonstrated the company's new Roadster sports car late last night in Waco, Texas, in the United States. The car drove vertically up a multi-story ramp, launched off its edge, performed a mid-air flip over a row of parked Teslas and landed using cold-gas thrusters. A reviewer at the technology outlet The Verge argues that what was shown is unlikely to become a production car that people can buy and use day to day.
What the demo showed
The Roadster was fitted with 600 liters of compressed air, 10 directional cold-gas thruster nozzles and a 2G suction-fan system inspired by SpaceX. Tesla's claimed 0-to-60 mph (about 97 km/h) launch time is under a second, a figure that has not been confirmed by independent testing.
What was left out
Tesla says the "Rocket" configuration will be available by invitation only. It removes the passenger seat to make room for high-pressure gas tanks. The company admits this version will not be approved for use on public roads. No price or battery specifications were given. The estimated range was cut from 600 miles to 300 miles, and the production window was pushed to 2028, more than a decade after early buyers paid $50,000 deposits.
Musk has previously called the Roadster a "small potato" project compared with mass-market models such as the Model Y, and "the last best driver's car," reflecting his view that autonomous driving will define Tesla's future. Some analysts suggest the Roadster's re-launch may be linked to rumors of a Tesla–SpaceX merger.
Competition
Chinese maker BYD's Yangwang U9 Extreme uses four electric motors to produce 3,000 horsepower and reached 308 mph in testing, beating the 268 mph record of Croatian maker Rimac's Nevera. The British McMurtry Spéirling single-seater does 0 to 60 mph in 1.35 seconds. The Verge's author concludes that the demo worked as a PR exercise but not as a viable product.
