Tesla Unveils Long-Delayed Roadster, Showcasing Flight-Like Thrusters

On Thursday, October 15, Tesla streamed a live presentation in which the prototype of its next-generation Roadster performed a series of aerial maneuvers, including an upside-down launch, a mid-air flip, and a “kick-flip” over other vehicles. The demonstration was intended to prove the car’s “fan suction system” can generate up to 2 g of force and that onboard thrusters enable limited flight-like control.

Euronews

Tesla first announced a new Roadster in 2017, promising the “fastest sports car ever made” and a range of 620 miles per charge. The original Roadster (2008-2012) used a Lotus Elise chassis and helped establish electric vehicles (EVs) in the mainstream market. Since the 2017 reveal, Tesla has repeatedly postponed delivery dates—initially slated for 2020, then 2025, and now projected for next year. During the intervening period, the company shifted focus toward artificial-intelligence-driven self-driving technology, robotics, and the SpaceX-derived “cold-gas thruster” concept that underpins the current prototype.

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• Base price: $200,000.

Wired Magazine

• Reservation deposit: $50,000 per buyer (Reuters; CNBC).

CNBC

• Acceleration: 0-60 mph in under 1 second (Reuters; Euronews).

New York Times

• Top speed: over 230 mph for the “Rocket” variant.

Euronews

• Range: more than 300 miles per charge.

Euronews

• Production outlook: analysts estimate ?2,000 units per year, a fraction of the 1.6 million vehicles Tesla sold last year.

Reuters

• Thruster capability: fan suction system can pull up to 2 g; altitude-control thrusters and rear main thrusters provide limited hover and rapid cornering.

Euronews

Lars Moravy, Tesla’s vice-president of vehicle engineering, explained that the vehicle’s underside fan system creates the necessary lift, and that SpaceX technology was incorporated for the thrusters. Tesla announced that reservations have reopened, accepting new $50,000 deposits from buyers in the United States, Canada and China.

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• “We need an audience to prove that it's not AI or SI,” — Elon Musk, chief executive

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• “I really was excited for the car! And I understand delays,” — Sam Altman, openai co-founder

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• “EVs exist today in a massively different environment than when the Roadster was introduced,” — Ed Kim, president of AutoPacific, an automotive research firm

Wired Magazine

• “People are looking for range, performance, charging ability, resale value,” — Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of Industry Insights at Cox

Wired Magazine

Tesla is slated to report its third-quarter earnings after the market close on Wednesday, a filing that may hint at production timelines. The company has also filed with the Federal Aviation Administration to establish a no-fly zone around the demonstration site, indicating continued testing of the thruster system. Deliveries of the Roadster are expected to commence next year, pending final regulatory approvals and scaling of the low-volume production line.

CNBC