Tesla unveils Roadster with compressed-air thrusters

MCGREGOR

Tesla unveiled a new version of its Roadster sports car on Oct. 15, demonstrating a prototype that used compressed-air thrusters to jump over parked vehicles at a test site in Texas.

The car uses 10 nozzles and ultra-high-pressure air tanks to propel itself in the air and accelerate on the ground, CEO Elon Musk said.

During the demonstration at a SpaceX facility, the vehicle climbed a steep ramp and hung upside down using suction underneath it, before launching off the ramp, flipping in midair and landing with the help of air jets.

Tesla said the car, which had no driver during the demonstration, accelerated from zero to 60 miles (97 kilometers) per hour in less than a second.

Musk told spectators he needed a live audience to confirm that the demonstration was not generated by artificial intelligence.

He said production was expected to begin in 2028, but cautioned that the vehicle might not be legal in all markets.

The demonstration did not show sustained flight.

Roger Connor, curator for vertical flight at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, told CNN before the event that aircraft need to be lightweight, while road vehicles require bumpers and other crash protection.

Such a hybrid would be “a poor performing aircraft and a poor performing vehicle, and also quite expensive,” he said.