Musk: Der neue Tesla Roadster kann abheben

Tesla unveiled a high-performance roadster in Waco, Texas, that can take short flights using rocket thrusters. During the unveiling, the Roadster flew across parked Tesla models with its cold gas engines, performing a roll. Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, announced that the sportscar would go into production in 2028 and that owners could purchase it.

No price was specified. However, the cost for reserving the Roadster variant, which accelerates faster due to the thrusters, totals €250,000 – €5,000 initially followed by €245,000 within ten days. On Tesla's website, it mentions only the €5,000, promising a full refund. Musk initially showcased a prototype of the Roadster in 2017 and anticipated production to start in 2020.

The Tech billionaire stated that the production model would be even faster. The "Rocket" variant, which can fly with additional thrusters, is reportedly accessible only by invitation from the company. Flying is not permitted on public roads, and the "Rocket" version might not be available in all regions, according to the Tesla website.

It was unclear how many vehicles with cold gas engines Tesla plans to produce. The number of Roadsters to be made available for sale does not include those with thrusters. All Roadsters will come equipped with a suction system for road safety. At the presentation, the car remained stable on a ramp. The Roadster is the final human-driven Tesla model, says Musk, as he has shifted focus to autonomous driving and humanoid robots for his companies, Tesla and SpaceX, both of which heavily involve thruster technology.

Tesla has been speculating about merging the two companies under one roof. Musk has set the focus of Tesla on autonomous driving and humanoid robots, moving away from traditional car sales. The Roadster is supposed to be the last Tesla vehicle to be driven by humans, he claims. However, some rivals and experts question the reliability of Tesla's autonomous driving solution due to Musk's insistence on using only cameras as sensors and rejecting more expensive radar technology that can scan the environment.