Tesla Roadster Flying Car: Another Delay?

Tesla Roadster Reveal: “Very Soon” Meets Flying-Car Hype

Tesla’s second-generation Roadster is back in the spotlight—but not quite in the way reservation holders hoped.

Nearly a decade after Tesla unveiled its electric supercar concept, chief designer Franz von Holzhausen has once again described the long-awaited vehicle as coming “very soon.” Meanwhile, Elon Musk has reignited speculation about flying cars, replying on X that “you will get flying cars.”

Those two comments have revived attention around a vehicle that was originally presented as a near-future production model, but has since become one of the most delayed projects in Tesla’s history. The Roadster is no longer being judged solely on its acceleration, range, or styling. It is now carrying a far more ambitious promise: a possible SpaceX-inspired thruster system that could allow the car to hover briefly above the ground.

That prospect is undeniably dramatic. It is also surrounded by unanswered questions about engineering, safety, regulations, practicality, and—most importantly—whether the Roadster is finally close to production.

A decade-long wait for Tesla’s electric hypercar

Tesla revealed the second-generation Roadster in November 2017 during the unveiling of the Semi electric truck. The prototype immediately attracted attention with extraordinary claimed performance figures, including a 0-to-60-mph time of 1.9 seconds, a top speed above 250 mph, and a projected range of 620 miles.

At the time, Tesla indicated that production could begin around 2020. That target soon slipped, with later expectations moving toward 2022, 2023, and eventually 2024. Supply-chain disruption and the enormous effort required to scale the Model 3 were significant factors, but the Roadster was also competing internally with newer priorities.

Tesla has since focused heavily on the Cybertruck, Cybercab, autonomous-driving ambitions, and the Optimus humanoid robot. The Roadster, despite its high-profile status, has repeatedly appeared to occupy a lower position on the company’s production schedule.

A timeline of shifting promises

The Roadster’s history illustrates the difference between a concept unveiling and a production-ready vehicle:

2017: Tesla unveils the second-generation Roadster prototype.
2020: The original production target comes and goes.
2021–2024: Expectations continue to move as Tesla prioritizes other programs.
2025: Musk identifies April 1, 2026, as a possible demonstration date and says production could follow 12 to 18 months later.
2026: The proposed April reveal slips, with later reports pointing toward August or beyond.
August 2026: Von Holzhausen again says the Roadster is coming “very soon,” but Tesla still has not announced a firm public date.

The most recent reporting places volume production in 2027 or 2028 at the earliest. That means the first customer deliveries could arrive roughly ten years after the original prototype appeared.

What does “very soon” actually mean?

For Tesla followers, “very soon” is an exciting phrase. For customers who placed deposits years ago, it is less reassuring.

Von Holzhausen’s latest comment came during an appearance on Jay Leno’s Garage. When asked about the Roadster, Tesla’s chief designer responded affirmatively and repeated the phrase “very soon” when pressed for more detail. However, he did not provide a date, production milestone, final specification, or delivery estimate.

That lack of detail matters. A vehicle can be close to a demonstration while still being far from manufacturing readiness. Tesla may be preparing a working prototype or technology showcase without having finalized:

The production battery pack.
The manufacturing process.
The final interior and exterior design.
Crash certification.
Thermal management.
Service and repair procedures.
Regulatory approval.
A dependable delivery schedule.

A reveal event would therefore be an important milestone, but it would not necessarily mean the Roadster is ready to enter showrooms immediately.

Musk’s flying-car promise returns

The latest Roadster discussion became even more unusual after Musk responded to an X post about flying cars. His answer—“You will get flying cars”—was brief, but it quickly connected with previous claims about the Roadster.

Musk has previously discussed an optional SpaceX package using cold-gas thrusters. In theory, such a system could provide additional thrust for acceleration, braking, and cornering. More ambitiously, Musk has suggested that it could allow the vehicle to hover for a short period.

Recent reports describe the proposed system as involving multiple thrusters integrated around the car. The reported internal designation is A71, although Tesla and SpaceX have not publicly confirmed all of the technical details.

The idea has reportedly evolved over time. Earlier descriptions suggested spectacular demonstrations involving unusual driving maneuvers and more elaborate forms of aerial movement. More recent accounts characterize the concept as a brief, controlled hover rather than a conventional flying car capable of traveling through the air like an aircraft.

Hovering is not the same as flying

The distinction between a hovering car and a flying car is crucial.

A brief hover would involve lifting the vehicle off the ground for a limited time, probably under tightly controlled conditions. A true flying car would need to offer sustained, controllable flight, along with systems for navigation, emergency landing, noise management, and passenger protection.

The reported Roadster concept appears much closer to the first category. It would be a road-going electric hypercar with a dramatic propulsion demonstration—not an everyday airborne vehicle that replaces a conventional car journey.

That difference should be made clear in any serious discussion of the project. Calling the Roadster a “flying car” may generate headlines, but “thruster-assisted hovering sports car” is a more accurate description of the concept currently being discussed.

How cold-gas thrusters could work

Cold-gas thrusters are propulsion devices that release stored gas through nozzles to create thrust. Unlike rocket engines, they do not necessarily burn fuel. Their relative mechanical simplicity can make them useful for attitude control and short bursts of propulsion, including in spacecraft.

Applied to a car, the technology could theoretically produce several benefits:

Extra forward thrust during acceleration.
Additional braking force.
Greater control during high-speed cornering.
A brief lift-off from the ground.
A visually spectacular product demonstration.

However, the system would introduce significant complications. The vehicle would need high-pressure storage tanks, specialized plumbing, valves, controls, sensors, structural reinforcement, and extensive safety systems. The added hardware would also consume space and increase weight.

For a road car, weight is a critical concern. The Roadster’s performance claims already depend on battery capacity, traction, cooling, aerodynamics, and tire technology. Adding a thruster package could improve performance in some situations while making the vehicle more complex and difficult to package.

The engineering challenges

A production-ready thruster system would have to address several difficult problems:

Stability and control

A vehicle lifting off the ground cannot rely on tire grip for stability. Computer-controlled thrust would need to remain precisely balanced to prevent pitching, rolling, or drifting.

Noise

Cold-gas thrusters can be extremely loud. A demonstration vehicle might operate in a restricted test area, but public-road use would raise major questions about noise exposure and local regulations.

Safety

A high-pressure propulsion system positioned near occupants and surrounding vehicles would require robust containment and fail-safe controls. Even a short loss of balance could create serious risks.

Energy and endurance

A brief hover may be technically possible without making the car a practical aircraft. The available gas supply, thrust duration, and recharge process would determine whether the feature is useful or merely theatrical.

Legal approval

Road vehicles must meet extensive safety requirements. A propulsion system designed to lift a car off the road could fall outside ordinary automotive regulations, creating a complicated approval process.

Why the Roadster keeps slipping

The delays are not necessarily proof that Tesla has abandoned the project. They may reflect the unusually ambitious nature of the Roadster and Tesla’s preference for prioritizing products with broader commercial impact.

The Model 3 and Model Y were central to Tesla’s growth. The Cybertruck required a new design and manufacturing approach. Autonomous vehicles and robotics now absorb substantial management attention. Compared with those projects, the Roadster is a low-volume halo product.

Yet the vehicle’s ambition may also be contributing to the delays. Tesla has repeatedly suggested that the final Roadster will be “very different” from the prototype shown in 2017. Musk has described the car as more than a fast electric sports car, implying that its technology package could be central to the design.

Every additional feature increases development complexity. A conventional electric hypercar would already require high-performance batteries, motors, brakes, suspension, tires, cooling, and aerodynamic systems. Adding SpaceX propulsion technology raises the technical and regulatory stakes even further.

What reservation holders should expect

The original Roadster announcement created substantial excitement, and some customers paid deposits to reserve a place in the queue. But reservations are not the same as confirmed delivery orders, especially when specifications, pricing, and production timing remain fluid.

Potential buyers should look for several concrete signs before treating the project as imminent:

A confirmed Tesla event date.
A production-intent vehicle rather than an early concept.
Final performance and range specifications.
Published pricing and reservation terms.
Evidence of manufacturing preparation.
Regulatory and certification progress.
A clear delivery sequence for reservation holders.

Until those details appear, “very soon” should be interpreted as a promotional signal rather than a guaranteed delivery promise.

A halo car with enormous expectations

The next-generation Roadster has become more than an automobile. It is a test of Tesla’s ability to turn spectacular promises into a finished product.

If Tesla delivers an electric hypercar with exceptional acceleration, long range, advanced aerodynamics, and a credible thruster-assisted demonstration, the Roadster could become one of the most memorable performance cars ever built. It could also reinforce Tesla’s image as a company willing to challenge established automotive assumptions.

If the flying-car element remains limited to a brief prototype hover—or disappears entirely—the vehicle could still be impressive. Electric hypercars do not need to fly to be technologically significant. But the longer Tesla emphasizes extraordinary capabilities, the more closely the final product will be judged against those promises.

For now, the Roadster remains suspended between two worlds: a real electric performance car that has yet to reach production, and a futuristic technology showcase built around the possibility of leaving the ground.

The bottom line

Tesla’s Roadster reveal may indeed be approaching, but the company has not yet supplied the firm date and production evidence needed to end the uncertainty. Franz von Holzhausen’s “very soon” comment and Musk’s renewed flying-car statement have revived interest, yet they do not erase the project’s long history of delays.

The most realistic expectation is that Tesla could first demonstrate a production-intent Roadster, potentially with a SpaceX-inspired cold-gas thruster system capable of a short hover. Actual mass production and customer deliveries are likely to come later, with 2027 or 2028 frequently cited as the earliest practical window.

Until Tesla provides final specifications, certification details, and a manufacturing schedule, the Roadster should be viewed as a highly ambitious electric hypercar program—not yet as a production flying car.