Tesla unveils flying Roadster with SpaceX air thrusters, shares jump 5%

Tesla unveils flying Roadster at SpaceX test site

On October 15, 2026, Tesla held a livestreamed event at SpaceX’s rocket‑development facility near Waco, Texas. CEO Elon Musk guided the audience through a dramatic demonstration: the new Roadster drove up a steep, inverted ramp, clung to the surface with a vacuum‑fan system, then fired ten cold‑gas thrusters to launch, flip and land on its wheels. The stunt, described by Musk as an “engineering flex”, was the first public showing of a production‑grade sports car that can briefly hover and perform aerial manoeuvres.

How the thrusters and suction work

The Roadster combines two novel systems. A multi‑mode fan pushes air out from beneath the chassis, generating roughly 2 g of downforce – enough to hold the car upside down on a stationary ramp. Meanwhile, ten compressed‑air thrusters, developed with SpaceX engineers, release stored gas through small nozzles. According to Lars Moravy, Tesla’s vice‑president of vehicle engineering, the thrusters draw from a 600‑litre tank holding about 250 kg of air, which can be replenished by an on‑board electric compressor while driving. The cold‑gas jets provide thrust without combustion, allowing the vehicle to accelerate even when tyre grip is limited.

Performance claims

Tesla claimed the Roadster can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 0.81 seconds, a figure reported by The Drive and corroborated by the live‑stream data. Musk also hinted that a future production version could reach Mach 0.5 (about 383 mph), though the publicly listed top‑speed figure for the “Rocket” variant is 230 mph. The car’s range is said to exceed 300 miles across all versions.

Versions and pricing

The company unveiled three configurations, each with its own price and capability:

The Performance model is marketed as “road‑ready”, the Thrust version adds rear thrusters for sub‑second acceleration, and the Rocket variant is a single‑seat “air‑ready” concept with perimeter thrusters for short hops.

Market reaction

Following the livestream, Tesla shares rose as much as 5.4 % in pre‑market trading, according to Yahoo Finance. Analyst Gene Munster of Deepwater Management called the event “an engineering flex with no commercial value beyond embarrassing traditional car makers”, while also noting Musk’s eagerness to merge Tesla and SpaceX technologies.

When will buyers get it?

Tesla confirmed that production of the Roadster will begin in 2028. Reservations are already open, with the three‑tier deposit structure described above. The company has not disclosed the final retail price, but industry observers expect it to exceed $250,000.

What’s next?

Regulatory approval remains a big question mark. Musk admitted the prototype is “not necessarily a safety‑optimised car” and that flying it on public roads is currently prohibited. If the suction‑fan and thruster systems prove reliable, the Roadster could set a new benchmark for high‑performance electric sports cars, and perhaps pave the way for limited‑flight vehicles in the future.