Elon Musk’s long-promised second-generation Tesla Roadster has briefly taken to the air in a demonstration using compressed air. The flight lasted only a few seconds, and the system reportedly takes six to seven hours to refill. Despite the vehicle’s uncertain production and delivery schedule, some buyers are still reserving cars, including versions equipped with thrusters.
Refilling the system takes six to seven hours.
Reservations remain open despite delays
Some prospective buyers reportedly reached for their credit cards to reserve a Roadster after watching a live demonstration. “I was shocked,” said Alex Lawrence, owner of EVAuto, a used electric-car dealership. Lawrence had already reserved one of the second-generation Roadsters. “I left another one,” he said.
Reserving the car is not a decision most people make lightly. Tesla first unveiled the Roadster, the successor to its first production car, as a surprise at an event in 2017. The company immediately began accepting reservations with a $50,000 payment and originally planned to deliver the vehicle in 2020.
Musk and Tesla now say production is expected to begin in 2028, although delivery dates remain unknown. If reservation holders had invested their money in Tesla stock instead, it would be worth nearly $1 million more today.
Different Roadster versions have different capabilities
The base Roadster reservation still costs $50,000. That version does not include acceleration thrusters or flight systems. The second-tier Thrust variant includes thrusters and requires a $250,000 deposit.
The flying version, known as the Rocket, is reportedly available “by invitation only.” Musk has acknowledged that the vehicle is not road-legal. Tesla’s reservation terms also state that the purchase price is “an estimate only,” although the company has not yet provided that estimate.
Owners see marketing potential
Lawrence said he would pursue “anything” to obtain a vehicle capable of flight. His EV dealership has a substantial social-media following, and the deposit was technically made by the company rather than by Lawrence personally.
“We’re going to put it on the truck and use it for marketing content,” he said.
A long-term reservation upgraded to the Thrust model
Utah-based technology founder Travis Cook had reserved a base-model Roadster for nearly a decade before switching to the Thrust version. He describes himself as a “car enthusiast” and holds a dealer’s license that allows him to buy and sell specialty cars.
Cook told WIRED that he enjoys driving exotic vehicles. He made the comments from behind the wheel of his Cybertruck while using Tesla’s fully self-driving features, which still require supervision.
“When I arrive somewhere, other car enthusiasts gather around and get really excited,” he said. “When I heard that, I got a little excited.”
Source: www.wired.com