Elon Musk says flying Roadster would use "ultra high-pressure air tanks"

At a Thursday event at SpaceX’s Texas test site, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk presented a Roadster sports car he described as able to fly, with the demonstration carried on Tesla’s X account. The car climbed a steep ramp, became airborne, and touched down on its wheels. Musk told viewers the concept was real but cautioned that success was not assured and said it likely would work. He connected the effort to collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX and said production was planned for 2028. The event occurs as technical and regulatory issues have held back the airborne vehicle field. An early prototype appeared in 1917, while better electric motors and batteries have made serious designs more plausible recently. Musk described the car’s propulsion equipment and how it would generate lift.