Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled what he described as a “flying” car, equipped with thrusters, during a livestreamed event at his SpaceX rocket company’s facility on Thursday.
Technical and regulatory challenges have so far prevented the much-hyped flying car sector from getting off the ground.
Musk revealed his new Roadster sports car during a launch event at a SpaceX test facility in Texas.
During the demo, which was livestreamed on Tesla’s X account, the car launched from a steep ramp and landed on its wheels.
“Flying cars are real,” Musk said during the event.
He added that the vehicle’s “success is not guaranteed” but that “it will probably work.”
Musk said the car was equipped with “ultra high-pressure air tanks” to propel itself into the air.
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.
The vehicle would go into production in 2028, he said.
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.