Tesla shows Roadster prototype that briefly leaves the ground using thrusters

Tesla demonstrated a new version of its Roadster sports car with thrusters that briefly lifted it off the ground, at SpaceX’s rocket test facility in McGregor, Texas, on the night of Thursday 15 October local time.

In the livestreamed demonstration, a prototype drove up a ramp that curled over so the car was upside down, left the end of it and rolled 180 degrees in mid-air before landing on its wheels, CBS News reported. The Washington Post reported that four thrusters fired as the car left the ramp. WIRED reported that the car also flipped over a line-up of Tesla vehicles and that it had no one on board.

Chief executive Elon Musk called the vehicle a “flying car”, according to CBS News, and said an audience was needed to prove it “is not AI”, the BBC reported. “This is not necessarily a safety-optimized car,” Musk said, according to WIRED.

Tesla said the thrusters run on onboard compressed gas, and executives said the car could reach 60mph in about one second, WIRED reported. Tesla said production would begin in 2028; it first announced the car in 2017 with a 2020 shipping date, WIRED reported.

Tesla’s website says the flying “Rocket” version is invitation-only and not approved for public road use, CBS News reported. The Federal Aviation Administration told CBS News the vehicle “does not meet the FAA definition of an aircraft”. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the manufacturer must meet federal vehicle safety standards and that it “will continue to monitor the situation.”