Tesla Unveils Thruster-Equipped Roadster, Production Set for 2028

Tesla showed the production version of its second-generation Roadster on October 15, 2026, at an outdoor event near Waco, Texas, almost nine years after first announcing the car. The reveal had been pushed back from October 1 because of severe weather.

What did Tesla show?

The demonstration car used fans and cold-gas thrusters, developed with SpaceX, to climb an inverted ramp, spin and land, and to lift over a row of other Tesla vehicles, according to TechCrunch. Musk promoted the event on X with the line “the future does have flying cars.”

Tesla announced three trims: Performance (two seats, “road ready”), Thrust (two seats, rear cold-gas thrusters) and Rocket (one seat, 10 thrusters, invite only). Claimed figures include 0–60 mph in about one second, a top speed above 230 mph and 300 miles of range, with 10 thrusters fed by 600 liters of rechargeable compressed air. These are company claims that have not been independently tested.

How much does it cost and when does it ship?

No base price was given. Reservations require a $50,000 deposit for Performance and $250,000 for Thrust, and Musk said production will start in 2028. He also said the Roadster will not “move the needle massively” on Tesla’s revenue.

What are the caveats?

The Roadster has been delayed repeatedly since its 2017 debut. TechCrunch notes the compressed-air tanks are carbon-overwrapped pressure vessels, the same type linked to past SpaceX rocket failures, and YouTuber Marques Brownlee publicly questioned the claims. CNN noted it remains to be proven whether owners will be able to fly rather than just hop.

Why it matters: The event continues the blending of Musk’s companies, with SpaceX hardware in a Tesla product, a pattern also visible in SpaceX’s new Grok, Cursor and X bundle. The search interest is real too: “tesla roadster” was among Google’s trending searches in Spain on October 16–17.