Tesla’s “flying car” is real, up to a point. At an event near Waco, Texas, on Oct. 15, 2026, Tesla showed its long-delayed Roadster using cold-gas thrusters, small jets of compressed gas, to lift itself off the ground. But Tesla’s own Roadster page says only the top version “can fly,” that version is invite only, and it is “not approved for public road use.” Here is what the Tesla flying car actually does, what it costs to get in line, and what Tesla still has not said.
The short version
Tesla unveiled a new Roadster with thrusters that can lift it into the air. It comes in three versions, and only the most exclusive one is built to fly.
- The Roadster comes in three versions: Performance, Thrust and Rocket. Only Rocket, which is invite only and seats one, has the full flight system.
- Tesla says the flying version is not approved for use on public roads.
- The Thrust version uses rear thrusters to go from 0 to 60 mph in under one second, Tesla says.
- Reserving one costs $50,000: $5,000 up front, which Tesla calls fully refundable, and $45,000 within 10 days.
- Tesla has not announced a price or a delivery date.
What the Tesla flying car did at the event
According to TechCrunch, which was at the event, the Roadster used fans and thrusters to drive up a steep ramp, spin around and ease back down to land on the pavement. It also lifted itself over a row of Tesla vehicles, including a Cybercab, a Cybertruck and a Tesla Semi. Tesla has posted a video of the ramp run on its YouTube channel:
Elon Musk called it “the best of the last of the human-driven cars” and said Tesla and SpaceX engineers worked on it together. Tesla’s page puts it more playfully: “We already put Roadster in a rocket. Now we put a rocket in Roadster.”
The three Tesla Roadster versions
Tesla’s Roadster page splits the car into three versions. Each one adds to the one before it.
| Version | How you get it | Seats | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | By reservation | 2 | Road ready, with active aerodynamics and a fan system that sucks the car down onto the road for grip |
| Thrust | Limited release | 2 | Rear thrusters for acceleration. Tesla says 0 to 60 mph in under one second |
| Rocket | Invite only | 1 | A full flight system, with thrusters around the car for lift and turning. Tesla says it is not approved for public road use |
Tesla also says the suction system creates enough downforce to hold the car upside down, even when it is standing still.
What it costs to reserve a Tesla Roadster
Tesla’s reservation page asks for $5,000 when you reserve and another $45,000 within 10 days, or $50,000 in total. If the second payment does not arrive, Tesla says it can cancel the reservation.
In plain terms: you are putting down $50,000 on a car with no announced price and no delivery date. Tesla calls the $5,000 “fully refundable,” but the page does not say the same about the $45,000. Read the reservation agreement before you pay the second part.
Can you actually fly it?
Not on the road you drive to work on. Tesla says flight is only available on the Rocket version, which is invite only and not offered in every region, and that it is not approved for public road use. Tesla has not said which regulators, if any, have looked at it.
Musk did not pretend it is a safe family car either. He said Tesla would “aspire not to kill anyone in this car” and that if safety is your top priority, you should not buy a Roadster, according to TechCrunch.
Nine years of waiting
Tesla first showed the second-generation Roadster in November 2017, at the same event where it unveiled the Tesla Semi, and took reservations for it then. The car has been delayed several times since. If you followed Tesla’s Cybercab launch, the pattern will feel familiar: a big reveal first, details on price and timing later.
What we don’t know yet
- The price of each version.
- When the first cars will be delivered.
- Range and top speed. Tesla’s page lists neither.
- How long and how high the Rocket version can fly, and which regulators have approved it.
- Which countries will get the Rocket version.
We will update this story when Tesla shares more.
