After nearly nine years of delays, Tesla finally showed off its new Roadster. And it is not just a fast electric sports car anymore. Tesla says this one can lift off the ground.
At a glance
- Unveiled: October 15, 2026, near Waco, Texas
- 0 to 60 mph: about 1 second
- Top speed: over 230 mph
- Range: about 300 miles
- Production: planned for 2028
- Price: not announced yet
What happened at the event
The new Roadster is a low, white, carbon-fiber car with thrusters built in. During the demo it drove up an upside-down ramp, hopped over a row of other Tesla vehicles, spun, and landed back on the pavement.
Instead of rocket fuel, the thrusters blow out compressed air stored in high-pressure tanks inside the car. The tanks can be refilled.
“The best of the last of the human-driven cars.”
Elon Musk, at the unveiling
The three versions
All three get about 300 miles of range and can go over 230 mph.
| Version | Tesla calls it | Seats | What makes it different | Price to reserve |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | Road ready | 2 | Active aerodynamics and a suction system for grip | $50,000 |
| Thrust | Race ready | 2 | Rear thrusters, 0 to 60 in under a second | $250,000 |
| Rocket | Air ready | 1 | 10 thrusters around the car | Invite only |
Note: the reservation is a payment to hold your spot in line, not the price of the car. Tesla has not announced prices for any of the three versions yet.
How we got here
Tesla first showed a new Roadster back in 2017, as a surprise at the end of its Semi truck event. Back then it promised about 620 miles of range, four seats and a price around $200,000. People put down $50,000 deposits, and some paid $250,000 for a Founders Series car. Then the dates kept moving:
- 2017: prototype shown, promised for 2020
- 2020 to 2025: pushed back almost every year
- October 1, 2026: unveiling canceled because of the weather
- October 15, 2026: finally unveiled
- 2028: the new production target
As of the unveiling, no customer has received a new Roadster.
What is still unproven
- Whether owners will really be able to fly, or just make short hops.
- Whether a car can be great at flying and great at driving fast on the road at the same time.
- Safety. The car is packed with high-pressure air tanks, and Musk has said safety is not the main goal of this car.
- The final price, and whether the 2028 date holds up after this many delays.
My take
Here is my question: are we actually ready for this? Picture rush hour when a few of these are hopping over traffic. Today a fender bender is a dent and a phone call. Tomorrow it could be a Roadster landing on the roof of your Camry. How do insurance companies even price that? My guess is premiums go up for all of us before anyone figures it out.
And who writes the rules of the road when the road includes the air? Do you need a driver’s license, a pilot’s license, or both? Can you hop a red light? What happens when two of these try to jump the same gap at the same time?
Part of me loves it, though. Anyone who has played Rocket League already knows what a car with boosters doing flips looks like, and Tesla basically built it. Throw in the sharp, angular look and it feels like we are one patch away from Cyberpunk 2077, with a little Grand Theft Auto chaos mixed in. Back to the Future promised us flying cars by 2015. If production really starts in 2028, we are only thirteen years late.
So which is it: the start of a real cyberpunk era, or a very expensive toy for a few rich people? I lean toward toy for now, but I will believe it when I see one in a parking lot. What do you think?
What to watch next
The next big things to watch are the final price and any update on the 2028 production date. We will update this post as Tesla shares more. Check back soon.
Top photo: Tesla, Inc. Sources: TechCrunch, Electrek, CNN.
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