Technology · Article
Tesla's New Roadster Uses SpaceX-Style Thrusters: How the System Works
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In brief
Tesla unveiled a redesigned second-generation Roadster on October 15, 2026, at a SpaceX test site in Texas, fitted with cold-gas thrusters adapted from rocket hardware. The system stores compressed air in carbon-fibre tanks rather than rocket propellant, and Tesla says it will let the car perform rapid acceleration bursts and aerial maneuvers; production is targeted for 2028.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the company's redesigned, long-delayed second-generation Roadster on October 15, 2026, during a livestreamed event at a SpaceX test site near McGregor, Texas, outside Waco. The reveal had originally been scheduled for October 1 but was pushed back after heavy rain, according to Reuters and TechCrunch.
What Tesla showed at the SpaceX site
During the demonstration, a white Roadster drove up a large curved ramp, using a fan-based suction system to stay attached to the surface while completely upside down. It then fired built-in cold-gas thrusters to launch off the ramp, flip in midair, and land back on the pavement. In another segment of the show, the car appeared to rise above a line-up of other Tesla models, including the Cybercab, Cybertruck, Semi, Model Y and Model 3, according to TechCrunch's account of the event.
How the cold-gas thruster system works
The propulsion package was developed with SpaceX and relies on compressed air rather than rocket propellant. Tesla's Vice President of Engineering, Lars Moravy, said at the event that nearly every usable void in the car is packed with Carbon Fiber Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs), the same type of pressure tanks used on SpaceX rockets, according to TechCrunch. Tesla reports the tanks together hold about 600 litres of compressed air, roughly 250 kilograms, distributed through 10 nozzles. Because it stores ordinary air instead of rocket fuel, the system can reportedly be recharged by the car itself for repeated use, according to DriveTeslaCanada.
Tesla has said the thrusters can generate four to five times more force than what a car's tires alone can deliver through grip on the road, based on DriveTeslaCanada's reporting of the company's claims. That extra force is what Tesla says drives the sub-one-second acceleration and the aerial maneuvers shown during the unveiling.
Three trims, three price tags
Tesla's online reservation page lists three Roadster configurations with different thruster setups, seating and deposit amounts.
| Trim | Seats | Thruster setup | 0–60 mph (company claim) | Deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 2 | Active aerodynamics, multi-mode suction system (no acceleration thrusters) | Under 1 second (overall Roadster range) | $50,000 |
| Thrust | 2 | Rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters | Under 0.9 seconds | $250,000 |
| Rocket | 1 | 10 thrusters positioned around the vehicle, marketed by Tesla as a "full flight system" | Under 0.59 seconds | Invite-only |
Tesla says all three trims will offer roughly 300 miles of range and a top speed exceeding 230 mph. These performance figures come from Musk's statements at the event and from Tesla's own materials; they have not been independently verified, and no final retail price for the production car has been announced.
Nine years of delays
Tesla first showed a Roadster prototype in 2017 and originally promised customer deliveries starting in 2020. The project slipped repeatedly through 2020–2024 before Musk set the current production target of 2028 — meaning more than a decade will have passed between the first reveal and the car reaching owners, according to Reuters and TechCrunch.
Safety and legality questions
Musk acknowledged during the October 15 livestream that the car was not designed with safety as its primary goal, saying it was "not necessarily a safety-optimized car," according to DriveTeslaCanada's account of the event. In a podcast appearance earlier in 2026, cited by TechCrunch, Musk had already put the point more bluntly to potential buyers.
If safety is your number one goal, do not buy the Roadster.
Reuters reported that it was not immediately clear whether the thruster-based features would be legal for use on public roads, noting that Tesla had not detailed how the functions might be regulated or approved.
Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein, cited by Reuters, said Tesla currently lacks a genuine halo car and estimated the Roadster might sell around 2,000 units a year — a small fraction of the roughly 1.6 million vehicles Tesla sold in total the previous year.
Questions
- What exactly is the SpaceX propulsion system on the new Roadster?
- It is a set of cold-gas thrusters fed by carbon-fibre overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs), the same tank technology used on SpaceX rockets. Tesla says the tanks hold about 600 litres (roughly 250 kg) of compressed air distributed through 10 nozzles, and the air can be recharged rather than requiring rocket propellant.
- Can the Tesla Roadster actually fly?
- No. The thrusters were shown performing a mid-air flip and a ramp stunt during the October 15, 2026 demonstration, and the single-seat "Rocket" trim is marketed with a "full flight system," but Reuters reported that the legality of using such features on public roads is not yet clear.
- How fast is the new Roadster, according to Tesla?
- Tesla says the Thrust trim accelerates 0–60 mph in under 0.9 seconds and the Rocket trim in under 0.59 seconds, with a top speed above 230 mph and about 300 miles of range across all trims, per DriveTeslaCanada's reporting of the event. These figures are Tesla's own claims and have not been independently verified.
- When will the Roadster go into production and how much does it cost?
- Tesla has targeted production for 2028. Reservations require a $50,000 deposit for the Performance trim or $250,000 for the Thrust trim, while the Rocket trim is invite-only; no final retail price has been announced.
- Why did the Roadster take so long to reach this stage?
- Tesla first revealed a Roadster prototype in 2017 and promised deliveries in 2020, but the project was delayed repeatedly through 2020–2024 before the October 2026 unveiling and the new 2028 production target, according to Reuters and TechCrunch.
Sources
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