Tesla unveils new Roadster with thrusters for jumps and short flights
Nine years after the first prototype, Tesla has unveiled the second-generation Roadster. Production is due to start in 2028; the company has not yet announced a price.
Photo: Smnt / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Video: YouTube · Tesla · youtube.com
Tesla unveiled the second-generation Roadster on Oct. 15 at a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas. During the livestreamed event, the sports car drove up a curved ramp, used a fan-based suction system to stay attached until fully inverted and launched with cold-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX. In a second demonstration it jumped over a row of cars and a semitrailer truck. “Turns out the future does have flying cars,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said.
Musk said certain versions reach 60 mph in under one second; top speed is above 230 mph. According to Top Gear, there are four variants: Standard, Performance with about a megawatt of power, Thrust with a compressed-air system in place of the trunk, and the limited single-seat Rocket with additional nozzles. Range is put at 310 to 320 miles depending on the model, with charging at up to 500 kW, all according to the company.
Tesla did not announce a price. According to Fox Business, the company is asking for a $50,000 deposit for the Performance version and $250,000 for the Thrust; the Rocket is invitation-only. Production is due to start in 2028. Tesla first showed a prototype in 2017 and promised deliveries from 2020 at the time. The video shows Tesla's presentation.