Tesla demonstrates thruster-equipped Roadster, says production will start in 2028

Tesla demonstrated its new two-seat Roadster equipped with gas thrusters at a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas, on October 15 local time, Korean outlets reported. The demonstrations included a jump over five vehicles and a landing after the car rose from a curved track. Chief executive Elon Musk said the vehicle would enter mass production in 2028, according to Kukmin Ilbo, Seoul Economic Daily and other outlets. [ 3 , 5 , 11 , 20 , 21 ]

Yonhap reported that the car climbed roughly halfway up a roller-coaster-like circular track and used its thrusters to land after being upside down. In a subsequent demonstration, it accelerated toward five vehicles, including a large truck, emitted gas and jumped over them before landing. Musk said Tesla and SpaceX engineers had worked closely on the car and described attitude-control thrusters and a rear main thruster. The event included invited spectators. [ 5 ]

Seoul Economic Daily reported that the Roadster recorded 0.81 seconds from a standstill to 60 mph, meeting Musk's earlier target of under one second. Newsis described Tesla's acceleration figure as about one second. The demonstration took place without a driver on board for safety, but Musk said the production Roadster would be driven by a person and would eventually be Tesla's only manually driven model. Seoul Economic Daily reported that Musk was unsure whether a car with these features could legally run on all roads. [ 8 , 11 ]

The final selling price was not disclosed, according to Newsis and Hankook Ilbo. Hankook Ilbo reported planned Performance, Thrust and Rocket versions, with reservation deposits of $50,000 for Performance and $250,000 for Thrust. Bloter and ZDNet Korea described repeated missed delivery targets since the next-generation Roadster was first shown in 2017. They also reported that a demonstration planned for October 1 had been cancelled because of weather. [ 2 , 4 , 8 , 20 ]