Musk said that while the vehicle’s “success is not guaranteed … it will probably work”.
The two-seater sports car did not have a driver for the demo “to make sure we don’t kill anyone”, he added.
Musk said the car was equipped with 10 nozzles and “ultra high-pressure air tanks” to propel itself into the air and accelerate quickly on the ground.
The car can go from 0 to 100 km/h in under one second and reach a top speed of 370km/h.
The tech billionaire described the development as “what happens when you have a collaboration with the world’s best car company and the world’s best rocket company”, referring to Tesla and SpaceX.
“It can basically fly like a rocket,” he said.
‘On the roads’
Musk said the Roadster was “not necessarily a safety-optimised car” but it would “be an actual car that’s on the roads”.
“I’m not sure it’s necessarily legal in all jurisdictions, but there will be such a car that someone can own,” he added.
Musk said the vehicle would go into production in 2028, though he’s known for announcing release dates for his Tesla or SpaceX products that end up being pushed back by several years.
The unveiling of the Roadster was postponed many times and had been expected for at least nine years.
On Tesla’s website, interested customers can reserve a “Performance” Roadster model or a “Thrust” model, with boosted thrusters. The final sale price has not been disclosed.
American aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss debuted the first flying car prototype in 1917.
But successful designs have become more seriously contemplated only in recent years as electric motors and high-performance batteries have advanced.
– AFP