Tesla Roadster flies, flips, and hits 60 mph in one second
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Tesla showed its new Roadster flying, flipping, and driving upside down at a Texas event on Thursday.
- The car hit 60 mph in one second in the demo. Tesla plans three trims, with 300 miles of range.
- Tesla aims to build the car in 2028. It has not named a final price yet.
Tesla finally showed its new Roadster. The car flew, flipped, and drove upside down. It hit 60 mph in one second.
The show took place on Thursday night in Texas. It ended a wait of nearly nine years.
What happened
Tesla held the event at a SpaceX test site. The site sits in McGregor, Texas, near Waco. The live stream started at 8:55 in the evening, Eastern time.
Chief executive Elon Musk led the show. He showed a white car with a sharp, angular shape. Tesla said the design took cues from the SR-71 plane and the F-35 jet.
The demo was the main act. The car drove up an inverted ramp. That means the ramp faced down from above.
The car held on and kept moving.
Then the car spun in the air. It eased itself down to a landing on the pavement. TechCrunch reports the car also lifted itself over five Tesla vehicles.
Those were the Cybercab, Cybertruck, Tesla Semi, Model Y, and Model 3.
Tesla showed the car hitting 60 mph in one second. That means zero to 60 miles per hour in a single second. Musk said the sprint took under one second.
He called it the least interesting part of the show.
We listed what to watch in our preview of the event. The real show went past even those bold hints.
The secret is cold-gas thrusters. These are small jets that push out cold compressed air. They burn no fuel.
The car also uses fans and a suction system. Suction means the fans pull the car down onto a surface. That grip lets it drive upside down.
Engineering VP Lars Moravy gave one hard number. He said the Roadster uses 10 thrusters. They link to 600 liters of compressed air.
The air tank can be refilled, he said.
Musk made a big promise about the car. "This will be the actual car that's on the roads," he said. He said buyers will be able to do these moves when they like.
Tesla plans three trims. A trim is a version of the car. The first is Performance.
Tesla calls it road ready. It seats two people. It has body parts that move to help grip.
The second is Thrust. Tesla calls it race ready. It also seats two people.
It has rear thrusters for a sub-one-second sprint. Sub-one-second means less than one second.
The third is Rocket. Tesla calls it air ready. It seats one person.
It has 10 cold-gas thrusters placed around the car.
All three trims will have 300 miles of range. Range means how far the car goes on one charge. All three can pass 230 mph in top speed, Tesla says.
Tesla opened reservations at once. The Performance trim costs $50,000 to reserve. The Thrust trim costs $250,000 to reserve.
The Rocket trim is invite only. Tesla did not name a final price for any trim.
Why it matters
The Roadster has been a long time coming. Tesla first showed this second-generation car in November 2017. It promised deliveries in 2020. Then it delayed the car in 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024.
Tesla even tried to hold this reveal on October 1. Severe weather forced one more delay. The show at last took place two weeks later.
Early buyers paid large deposits years ago. Fox Business reports reservations cost $50,000 each. TechCrunch reports some buyers paid $250,000 for a Founders Series car.
Only 1,000 of those cars were on offer. Those buyers have waited the longest.
The first promises were bold for 2017. Fox Business reports a $200,000 price at that time. It also reports a 620-mile range claim. The 0-60 time was 1.9 seconds then.
The top speed was over 250 mph.
The new car trades range for drama. It offers 300 miles of range, not 620 miles. But it promises a much faster sprint.
It also promises moves no road car has shown before.
The Roadster is a halo car. A halo car shows off a firm's best tech. It does not need to sell in huge numbers.
Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein said Tesla lacked such a car. He expects about 2,000 Roadsters sold per year.
That is a small number next to Tesla's total sales. Fox Business reports Tesla sold 1.6 million vehicles last year. The Roadster is about image, not volume.
Rivals have not stood still. BYD, a Chinese car maker, keeps launching new electric cars. Like most electric cars, the Roadster uses a simple gearbox.
Our guide explains how electric cars have single-speed transmissions.
Some watchers stayed skeptical. One well-known tech reviewer asked if the whole show was a prank. His doubt is fair.
No outside group has yet verified the speed claims. Tesla has not yet shown how the thrusters will pass road rules.
Safety is also an open question. Musk has said safety is not the main goal for this car. He said buyers who put safety first should not buy it.
That is a rare warning from a car boss.
What happens next
Tesla aims to start production in 2028. That is the target, not a firm date. The firm has missed every past date for this car.
Three questions come first. One, what is the final price? Two, which demo tricks will reach buyers?
Three, will road rules allow the thrusters?
Mathrubhumi reports Tesla has not yet explained road rules for the thrusters. It also reports final prices and delivery dates are not set. Buyers should wait for those facts before they judge the car.
Musk floated one more stunt on stage. He said Tesla may try to jump Snake River Canyon. That gorge is famous for a failed rocket jump in the 1970s.
Treat that as a stage tease, not a plan.
For now, the Roadster is a show car with a date. If Tesla ships it in 2028, it will cap a decade of waiting. If it slips again, the flying demo will stand as a bold night in Texas.
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