The Tesla Roadster flew, drove upside down, and hit 60mph in under a second
Tesla demonstrated the capabilities of its next-generation Roadster, including a sub-one-second 0-60 mph acceleration and the ability to hover using cold-gas thrusters. The vehicle, which has faced significant production delays since its 2017 announcement, is now slated for 2028.
Why it matters
The demonstration highlights the experimental nature of Tesla's engineering collaborations and the company's shift toward niche, high-tech halo products.
Elon Musk promised a flying car. So the Tesla Roadster did exactly that.
Tesla demonstrated its next-generation Roadster at an event in Waco, Texas, where the electric supercar drove upside down, briefly flew, and accelerated to 60mph in under a second. It was an impressive demonstration of a car that won’t go into production until 2028.
[Media: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/u0oM6hIg0bk]
The next-gen Roadster certainly took the scenic route in getting here. A prototype version was announced as a “one more thing” style surprise during the 2017 Tesla Semi event. The specs sounded ludicrous even back then: 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, a top speed over 250 mph, a 200 kWh battery delivering up to 620 miles of range, and a $200,000 starting price tag. Musk said deliveries would start in 2020, which sounded perfectly doable at the time.
Also covering this story
5 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Tesla will unveil its Roadster 2 on Thursday night after years of delays
People who paid $50K to reserve a Roadster would have made bank investing that in Tesla stock instead
Tesla reveals SpaceX-powered Roadster that flies and falls with style
Tesla’s Roadster 2 Is Late—and Entering a Different EV World
The 1 Thing I'd Want Elon Musk to Answer on Tesla's Oct. 21 Call
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in