Tesla Unveils Flying Roadster with 2028 Production Date

Tesla unveiled the second-generation Roadster on October 15, 2026, during a livestreamed event at a SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas. Developed in collaboration with Space Exploration Technologies Corp., the vehicle features cold-gas thrusters and a suction system that allow it to hover, perform barrel rolls, and execute a 360-degree horizontal flip known as a kickflip. During the demonstration, the car accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 0.81 seconds.

Elon Musk announced that production is scheduled for 2028. The vehicle will be offered in three trims: a road-ready Performance model, a race-ready Thrust model, and an invite-only Rocket variant equipped with a full flight system. While the base Performance trim requires a $50,000 deposit, the Rocket package costs $250,000. Musk characterized the Roadster as the last manually driven car Tesla intends to produce long-term, positioning manual driving as a luxury feature as the company shifts focus toward robotics and the autonomous Cybercab.

The reveal follows nearly a decade of delays since the original 2017 debut, leading some early reservation holders to cancel their deposits. While the demonstration caused a brief increase in share price, some analysts dismissed the event as an engineering flex with limited commercial value. Regulatory bodies, including the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, noted that any vehicle operating as an aircraft must meet strict aviation safety requirements and pilot qualifications.