Key Points: Tesla flying car
- Tesla unveiled its next generation Roadster on October 15 at a SpaceX test site in Texas, using compressed-air thrusters to flip off a ramp in short, driverless demos.
- Tesla claims 0-60 mph in 0.8 seconds, but no price was announced, production is targeted for 2028, and the flying model is not approved for public roads.
- Tesla stock jumped about 5% before the market opened Friday, then fell roughly 3% during the day, and earnings arrive October 21.
- The overlooked contrast is that the Cybercab, Tesla’s actual robotaxi, got a 15 minute launch in September with no Musk and no livestream.
Tesla Flying Car: What Actually Happened In Texas
The Tesla flying car reveal took place Thursday night at a SpaceX test facility in McGregor, near Waco. Tesla streamed it live on its X account after an October 1 attempt was washed out by severe weather.
The white prototype drove up a ramp that curled upside down, clung to it with fans and thrusters, then flipped off and landed on its wheels. It also vaulted over a Cybercab, Cybertruck, Tesla Semi, Model Y and Model 3.
There was no driver, which Musk said was done “to make sure we don’t kill anyone.” His verdict afterward: “Turns out the future does have flying cars.”
Is The Tesla Roadster Video Real
Yes, the event was real and live, and several outlets were present. The stunts were done by a prototype, not a finished product, which is why the “is the new Tesla Roadster real” question has two answers.
The car exists, and it performed. The car you could buy someday, however, is a plan for 2028.
Can The Tesla Roadster Fly
Here is the honest answer. The car uses about 10 nozzles fed by ultra high pressure air tanks, so it is closer to a thrust assisted hop than sustained flight.
CNN noted it is very difficult to say whether it can truly fly. Musk acknowledged success is not guaranteed but said it will probably work.
The flips invited comparisons to video games like Rocket League. Tesla has published no flight time, height or range.
Tesla Roadster Price, Release Date And 0-60
Tesla did not announce a price. Nearly a decade ago the company quoted a $200,000 base price, which is the figure people still cite when asking how much the new Roadster costs.
Production is targeted for 2028. Tesla has missed every previous delivery target since the 2017 concept, and Musk had earlier joked an April Fools’ reveal would give him “some deniability.”
Tesla claims 0-60 mph in 0.8 seconds, faster than any production car, and a top speed above 230 mph. Musk also called it “not necessarily a safety optimized car.”
Rockets For The Roadster, 15 Minutes For The Cybercab
Here is the angle most coverage skips. On September 3, Tesla held an invitation-only launch for the Cybercab, the robotaxi that began production in February.
Reuters reported the presentation lasted about 15 minutes, Musk was not there, and an expected livestream never happened. Six weeks later, a car that will not ship until 2028 got a SpaceX rocket facility and a worldwide stream.
That tells you where the spectacle goes. The Cybercab is the product tied to Tesla’s near term business, while the Roadster is a halo car designed to win attention.
What It Means For Tesla Stock And SpaceX Stock
Tesla stock traded around $362 at Thursday’s close, jumped nearly 5% before Friday’s open, then faded to about $352. It is down roughly 23% this year.
Analysts were cool. Gene Munster called the reveal an “engineering flex,” and Gary Black said the car is impressive but unlikely to add to earnings.
The bigger market story is SpaceX, which trades as SPCX. Barclays thinks a Tesla and SpaceX merger could be announced before a shareholder meeting expected by December 6.
Musk has said Tesla bulls should stop pumping that deal, so treat it as speculation. With Tesla trading near 186 times earnings, the October 21 report matters more than a prototype.
Five Answers Tesla Still Owes Buyers
Price: No number has been announced for any of the three Roadster models Tesla lists.
Timing: 2028 is a target, and the track record is not encouraging.
Road legality: Tesla says the flying version is not approved for public roads.
What flying means: No official figures on duration, height or range.
Old reservations: Tesla has not said how deposits taken since 2017 apply to this redesigned car, as far as the reporting I reviewed shows.
The Bottom Line
The Tesla flying car is a spectacular prototype and a very early promise. For buyers and investors, the useful question is what ships, when, and for how much.
Trenbuzz will keep following the Roadster, the Cybercab and Tesla’s October 21 earnings report.