Tesla unveils flying Roadster

Tesla has unveiled a redesigned Roadster after nearly a decade of delays, featuring built-in thrusters and a fan suction system using SpaceX technology.

What the car can do

The Roadster can accelerate from zero to ninety-seven kilometres an hour in less than a second and generate up to two Gs of downforce, letting it drive upside down and perform mid-air rolls.

Musk admits safety concerns

Elon Musk acknowledged the car is not necessarily safety-optimised and said he is unsure whether it will be legal in all jurisdictions.

“not necessarily a safety-optimised car”

Production timeline and variants

Tesla's reservation page shows three Roadster variants including the Rocket, equipped with a full flight system available only by invite. Production will not ramp up until twenty twenty-eight.

Experts call it a publicity stunt

Michael Milford, director of QUT's Centre for Robotics, called the unveiling a very obvious and admittedly slick publicity stunt several major transformations away from actual safe deployment.

“very obvious and admittedly slick publicity stunt”

Safety risks on shared roads

Current road infrastructure does not account for flying cars. Michael Milford said flying cars near the ground poses a complex problem because the journey is spent in close proximity to unpredictable people and vehicles.

Regulatory void and competition

Milad Haghani said there is a regulatory void around privately-owned flying cars. Alef Aeronautics revealed its own flying car concept in February twenty twenty-five, and China has begun experimenting with flying taxis.

Unlikely to drive Australian roads

Experts predict safety risks and regulatory issues will likely prevent the Tesla Roadster from ever driving down Australian roads, with no clear pathway to viable deployment.