Tesla 'flying' Roadster unveiled by Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled a new Roadster sports car that he described as a “flying” car during a livestreamed event at a SpaceX test facility in Texas on Thursday.

During the demonstration, streamed on Tesla's X account, the car launched from a steep ramp and landed on its wheels. Musk said the vehicle was equipped with “ultra high-pressure air tanks” to propel itself into the air.

“Flying cars are real,” Musk said. He also said the vehicle's “success is not guaranteed” but that “it will probably work.”

Musk said the vehicle would go into production in 2028. He described the project as a collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX.

Technical and regulatory challenges have so far held back the flying car sector. American aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss debuted an early flying car prototype in 1917, while advances in electric motors and high-performance batteries have renewed interest in the concept in recent years.