On Thursday, Tesla unveiled its long-delayed new Roadster, which—utilizing compressed-air thrusters developed in collaboration with SpaceX—was shown performing a controlled flip in the air before hovering briefly and landing. However, production of the vehicle, for which deposits have been collected since 2017, is not expected to begin until 2028, and its price has yet to be announced.
According to reports from Bloomberg and CNBC, the demonstration took place at a SpaceX testing facility near Waco, Texas. A white prototype was shown launching off a curved ramp, performing an aerial flip, and clearing other Tesla vehicles, including a Semi electric truck.
The new Roadster features a two-seat configuration and is equipped with a steer-by-wire system similar to that of the Cybertruck. According to Tesla’s own timing during the event, the car accelerates from a standstill to 60 mph (approximately 97 km/h) in less than one second.
Nevertheless, the Roadster is unlikely to provide a significant boost to the company’s financial performance. Andrew Rocco, an equity strategist at Zacks Investment Research, noted that while the Roadster may generate buzz for the brand, its high price point and limited potential market mean it is unlikely to meaningfully improve sales or profitability.
Bloomberg also pointed out that, due to constraints related to costs, safety, regulations, and practicality, a “flying” version is highly unlikely to be sold to the general public.