McGREGOR: Tesla drew praise and scepticism after its Roadster demo in Texas on Thursday showed the sports car flipping through the air.
At a livestreamed event at a SpaceX test facility, the car climbed a curved ramp, travelled upside down and launched into the air. It then flipped before landing on its wheels.
Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said his company and SpaceX engineers developed the vehicle together. He described a system using high-pressure air and thrusters to lift the car off the ground.
Tesla also presented a recorded acceleration demonstration showing the Roadster reaching 60 mph in 0.81 seconds. However, John Carmack, the former chief technology officer of Meta’s virtual reality division, questioned the stunt’s risks.
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“That demo involved a non-trivial chance of embarrassing failure!” he wrote on X. He preferred the baseline model because the airborne manoeuvres exceeded his comfort zone. Meanwhile, technology YouTuber Marques Brownlee questioned Tesla’s performance claims and delivery timeline.
Deepwater Asset Management managing partner Gene Munster viewed the demonstration as an engineering showcase with little commercial value beyond challenging traditional carmakers.
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Although Yorkville Ives analyst Dan Ives praised the Tesla-SpaceX collaboration, he expected limited effects on sales volume or revenue. Instead, he argued that the Roadster could improve Tesla’s image at the premium end of the market.
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Former PayPal president and Meta executive David Marcus welcomed the spectacle, crediting Musk with reviving excitement about technology.
Tesla is targeting Roadster production in 2028.
