‘Safe landing’ a revamped Tesla Roadster | Explained
The revamped Tesla Roadster showcased the ability to drive up vertical walls and “fly” briefly with cold-gas thrusters, indicating how Elon Musk’s Tesla and SpaceX companies are converging. But the concept is far from reaching customers
Tesla unveiled its next-generation Roadster electric car at a demonstration event on October 15, 2026, in McGregor, Texas. During the event, the car performed an aerial stunt, driving up a curved ramp, briefly "flying," flipping mid-air, and landing safely. This demonstration showcased the car's potential use of cold-gas thrusters for stability during flight and its ability to drive up vertical walls.
However, the actual vehicle will not be available for purchase until 2028 and must clear numerous regulatory hurdles before reaching the market. Tesla is accepting reservations for the car, but customers must be aware of the caveats involved.
The Tesla Roadster is designed as an "extra-terrestrial vehicle" and turns heads with its extra-terrestrial design, engineering, and physics. The car can accelerate from 0 to 97 km/hr in less than a second and has a top speed of over 370 km/hr. For vertical or upside-down driving, the car's multi-mode fan and ground sealing system create suction, allowing the Roadster to maintain stability.
The Roadster's flight capability is only available on the invite-only, one-seater 'Rocket' augmented model, which features a multi-mode suction system and cold-gas thrusters positioned around the car's perimeter for forward and upward acceleration, as well as lateral rotational movement. A limited release 'Thrust' augmented model can seat two and includes the multi-mode suction system and thrusters in the rear for maximum acceleration.
Tesla's India website states that the 'Performance' variant can be reserved for ₹5,01,000, with ₹45,05,000 due in 10 days. The 'Thrust' variant can be reserved for ₹5,01,000, with ₹2,45,24,000 due in 10 days. The car has a range of over 480 km on a single charge.
One regulatory roadblock for the Roadster is that it is only available as a left-hand drive vehicle, which may lead to legal complications in countries where right-hand drive vehicles are the norm. Additionally, the Roadster's flight system and self-driving capabilities will require extensive testing before any commercial release to ensure the safety of potential human drivers inside.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
