Tesla CEO Musk On Thursday, he unveiled what he described as a “flying” car equipped with thrusters during a livestreamed event from the SpaceX rocket company’s factory.
Technical and regulatory challenges have so far hindered the much-hyped flying car industry from getting off the ground.
Musk showed off Tesla’s new Roadster sports car at a launch event at the SpaceX test facility in Texas.
During a demonstration livestreamed on the Tesla
“Flying cars are real,” Musk said at the event, adding that the vehicle was “not guaranteed to succeed” but “it might work.”
Musk said the car is equipped with “ultra-high-pressure air tanks” that can propel itself into the air.
The tech billionaire described the development as “what happens when you partner with the best car company in the world and the best rocket company in the world,” referring to Tesla and SpaceX.
He said the car will go into production in 2028. Pricing has not yet been announced.
Tesla’s website notes that the planned flying model is not approved for use on public roads.
CBS News senior transportation and national correspondent Chris Van Cleave reports that it’s unclear which government agency will be responsible for regulating the vehicle. A senior U.S. Department of Transportation official told CBS News he was skeptical the vehicle would actually be able to take off, but admitted there was no clear answer yet.
NHTSA typically regulates vehicles but delegates safety certification to automakers. NHTSA did not immediately respond to CBS News’ request for comment.
The Federal Aviation Administration told CBS News the plane did not meet the agency’s definition of an aircraft.
Potential buyers can reserve a non-flying version of the Roadster online and pay a $5,000 deposit. A limited-edition Thrust model was also promised online, but pre-orders are not available. Tesla’s website says the rocket model with a “complete flight system” will be available by invitation only.
“The Roadster won’t change sales or revenue, and investors shouldn’t view it as a growth driver as production is likely to be limited,” Dan Ives, Wall Street analyst at Yorkville Ives, said in a research note. “What it does is restore the halo of the brand at the top of the market and put the engineering stack in the spotlight a week before it releases its fiscal 26 third quarter on Oct. 21.”
Tesla/Reuters Handout 
The concept of flying cars is almost as old as cars themselves, with American aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss debuting the first flying car prototype in 1917. But only if in recent years With advances in electric motors and high-performance batteries.
Ives said the Roadster shows how Tesla and SpaceX can work together. He said the new vehicle “puts the relationship between Tesla and SpaceX on the table in a tangible way. The propulsion, pressure vessels and control hardware developed by the rocket company are all based on Tesla products, which we believe over time strengthens the case for the two companies to operate as an engineering platform.”
Musk – one Major Republican political donor known for often approaching but sometimes noisy His relationship with President Trump has propelled his company to the forefront of several major industries, and he continues to expand into new ones.
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation announced a week ago The company has agreed to purchase a radio wave license that will allow its Starlink mobile satellite business to provide cellular service in buildings, a move it says will make it “a major mobile operator in the United States.”
“This is the last critical piece of the spectrum puzzle that SpaceX needs to provide complete phone coverage in the United States,” Musk said in an Oct. 8 social media post.