Tesla stuns with flying car and upside-down driving demo:Flipped in air before landing on ground; covers 97 kmph/sec

Elon Musk’s company Tesla showed off a flying car today, 16 October. During the demonstration, the second-generation Roadster car moved upwards on a large curved ramp and overturned. It then flew into the air from the ramp, flipped while airborne, and landed safely on the ground. The car is fitted with thrusters used in rockets. With their help, it can travel upside down and also spin in the air. The car can also reach a speed of 97 km/h in 1 second. Production of the car will begin in 2028. Musk said: This is the work of SpaceX engineers After the successful landing, Musk said, “Well, it worked.” He described the car as the result of work carried out jointly with engineers from Tesla and SpaceX. Musk said the car uses an advanced ultra-high-pressure air tank to lift itself off the ground. It has altitude thrusters for control in the air and main thrusters at the rear. It can fly like a rocket and perform aerobatic manoeuvres in the air. ‘The car will depend on what your road is like’ When an audience member at the event asked whether the car was suitable for use on ordinary roads, Musk said jokingly, “It depends on what your road is like.” However, he immediately clarified that it would be a practical car to use. Musk also said that the Roadster would be the only Tesla car that could be driven solely manually. It has not been designed with too much emphasis on safety. Production to begin in 2028 Musk said production of the Roadster will begin in 2028. A deposit of $50,000, or approximately ₹48 lakh, will be required to book the car. According to the website, the entire amount is 100% refundable. What is cold-gas thruster technology? This is the same technology used to change the direction of rockets and satellites in space. Compressed air or gas is expelled at high pressure to give the vehicle additional thrust or lift. Tesla Roadster launch delayed repeatedly since 2017 Tesla first unveiled its second-generation Roadster in November 2017. However, its launch and production dates have been postponed several times since then. Initially, the car was expected to hit the roads by 2020, but design and manufacturing challenges have caused a delay of about eight years. Sam Altman and Musk have already argued Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had also argued last year over the delay in the car’s launch. Altman wrote on X that waiting 7.5 years after paying a $50,000 booking fee seemed too long. In response, Musk claimed that Altman’s booking fee had already been refunded. Production could take 12 to 18 months Although the company is set to unveil the car today, 16 October, it will still take more time to reach the market. Elon Musk himself has said that production of the Roadster could take at least 12 to 18 months to begin even after the unveiling event. Roadster was Tesla’s first car Tesla launched its first electric car, the ‘Original Roadster’, in California in 2008. The car was built on the chassis of British sports car company ‘Lotus Elise’, but Musk replaced its petrol engine with an all-electric powertrain. Later, in November 2017, Musk announced the second-generation Roadster at his ‘Semi Truck’ event. Bookings for the car opened in November 2017 with a $50,000 deposit from customers. At the time, Musk also spoke about a SpaceX package equipped with cold-gas thrusters.