Tesla’s next-generation Roadster has been widely discussed since Tesla first teased the upcoming car a few years ago. In the latest update about the highly anticipated electric vehicle (EV), CEO Elon Musk notes that it will have aerial capabilities, though it’s not clear yet to what extent.
After Musk teased SpaceX’s involvement in the upcoming Tesla vehicle a few months ago, some suggested that the new Roadster could be developed with aerial functionality. Most, however, chalked the comments up to the EV just having incredible acceleration speeds as aided by SpaceX equipment.
In a post on X on Saturday morning, Musk said that the new Tesla Roadster will be able to fly, though he didn’t disclose any other details as to whether it would literally be able to be airborne, for how long, or when the forthcoming EV would become available.
When Musk previously alluded to the upcoming Roadster being a collaborative project between Tesla and SpaceX, he said that the completion of the production design and the official unveil would both be expected by the end of this year. When asked during that conversation on X whether the highly-anticipated vehicle would be able to “fly a little,” Musk responded with the eyes emoji.
Tonight, we radically increased the design goals for the new Tesla Roadster.
There will never be another car like this, if you could even call it a car.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 28, 2024
To be sure, Musk has become well-known for his sometimes overly-ambitious statements, with the CEO previously sharing concepts that didn’t come to fruition, and regularly sharing timelines that end up being delayed. Still, it’s hard to fathom what a collaboration with SpaceX on the next-gen Tesla Roadster would look like, and a flying car may not quite be out of the question.
Musk has teased the possibility of hovering capabilities for the next-gen Roadster since it was first teased, though it was also unclear at the time whether this was hopeful thinking or if it was something that consumers could expect to see in the future EV. With his recent statements, it seems the aerial capabilities have remained an important piece of the puzzle for Tesla’s design team, among the many other expected features.
The new Roadster is expected to be able to reach 60 mph in under a second, according to a statement from Musk. However, Musk has also said the incredible acceleration time will be the least interesting thing about the upcoming performance EV, which is obviously true if it indeed will be able to fly.
The new Roadster is also expected to be able to reach 60 mph in under a second, according to a statement from Musk. However, Musk has also said the incredible acceleration time will be the least interesting thing about the upcoming performance EV.
In an interview in April, Musk also hinted that the Roadster would likely include steer-by-wire, as included in the Cybertruck. He also suggested that the hyper-performance EV could be slated to get a modified steering yoke.
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