Elon Musk Unveils ‘Flying’ Tesla Roadster After Nearly a Decade of Delays
Tesla’s long-promised electric supercar finally gets a new demonstration, but customers may still have to wait until 2028 to see it hit the road.
After years of promises, missed deadlines and mounting skepticism, Elon Musk has finally shown off the next-generation Tesla Roadster — and this time, the headline-grabbing feature is its ability to briefly launch itself into the air.
The prototype was demonstrated Thursday, October 15, at a SpaceX testing facility in Texas, nearly nine years after Tesla first revealed the redesigned electric sports car in 2017.
According to NBC News, the demonstration featured the vehicle driving up a curved ramp before launching over five Tesla vehicles and landing using rocket-inspired cold-gas thrusters. Musk told the audience the demonstration was not artificially generated.
It was certainly a spectacle. But for anyone who has followed this project since its original unveiling, the big question remains: When will customers actually be able to buy one?
Nearly a decade of promises
When Tesla first unveiled the second-generation Roadster in November 2017, the company promised production would begin in 2020.
That deadline came and went. Production was pushed back repeatedly as Tesla pursued other projects and Musk continued making increasingly ambitious claims about the car’s performance.
Now, Musk says production is not expected to begin until 2028 — eight years after the original target.
That is a remarkable timeline for a vehicle Tesla has been promoting for the better part of a decade.
A sports car with rocket technology
The new Roadster is a collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX, combining electric-car technology with a system of high-pressure gas thrusters designed to help the vehicle perform extraordinary maneuvers.
Musk has previously suggested the technology could dramatically improve acceleration, braking and cornering. The latest demonstration takes those claims a step further by showing the car briefly airborne.
However, a demonstration prototype is not the same thing as a production vehicle. Tesla has yet to establish that the showcased capabilities will be available in a customer-ready model, and the company has not announced a confirmed release date or final price.
What about the people who already paid?
One of the most frustrating aspects of the Roadster saga is that Tesla has accepted substantial reservation deposits while the car remained years away from production.
When the vehicle was announced, standard reservations cost $50,000, while customers seeking one of the limited Founders Series models were asked for $250,000.
That means some early reservation holders have been waiting close to a decade after putting significant money down.
The repeated delays have also drawn public criticism from high-profile reservation holders, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who publicly complained about difficulties canceling his reservation.
Is the flying car finally real?
The demonstration provides a look at technology Tesla and SpaceX have been discussing for years. But there is still a significant difference between showing off an impressive prototype and delivering a production car that customers can legally drive on public roads.
Questions remain about the final vehicle’s specifications, pricing, production schedule and regulatory requirements.
For now, the Roadster remains a promise with an impressive demonstration behind it — but a production date still in the future.
For motorcycle riders and automotive enthusiasts, the bigger takeaway is simple: Innovative technology can be exciting, but until a vehicle is available to customers, performance claims and spectacular demonstrations are only part of the story.
Tesla now has 2028 in its sights. After so many missed deadlines, the next milestone worth watching isn’t another dramatic unveiling. It’s whether the company can finally deliver the car.
Source: NBC News, “Elon Musk shows flying Tesla Roadster after years of delays.”
Original reporting: Read the NBC News story
Additional background: Electrek’s timeline of Tesla Roadster delays