It’s been almost eight years since Tesla first announced the next-gen Tesla Roadster back in 2017, and the project has been beset by almost constant delays and setbacks since then. In the interim, numerous public figures such as OpenAI’s Sam Altman and gadget reviewer Marques Brownlee have simply asked for their $50,000 deposits back and finally canceled their orders.
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But Tesla CEO Elon Musk is now yet again promising the much-delayed electric sports car could soon see the light of day. In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Musk claimed that Tesla could “hopefully” demo its new Roadster before the end of 2025, and that the vehicle includes “crazy, crazy technology,” different from what has previously been announced. Without giving away many real details, Musk claimed the new Roadster could be “the most memorable product unveil ever.”
“If you took all the James Bond cars and combined them, it’s crazier than that,” Musk claimed.
The CEO made a vague allusion to making flying vehicles, saying: “My friend Peter Thiel once reflected that the future was supposed to have flying cars, but we don’t have flying cars.”
He added: “I think if Peter wants a flying car, we should be able to buy one.”
When directly asked if Tesla is actively trying to make a flying car, Musk said people would “have to wait until the demo.”
Tesla launching a science fiction-style flying car within mere months realistically seems pretty far-fetched. EV publication Electrek thinks it’s more likely that any “flying” capabilities we see will involve technology such as cold-air thrusters or fans, which could help the new Roadster jump into the air and hover for a few short moments. The next-gen Roadster, named after Tesla’s first-ever EV released in 2008, has been presented as a high-end, low-production model, with more advanced features than other Teslas.
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The model was initially slated to go into production in 2020 before being pushed back to 2021. It was then pushed back to 2022, then 2023, and then to 2024. In early 2024, Musk promised it would go into production (not just demo) in 2025 in an X post.
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1762716007913652650?s=20
Musk’s bold predictions come as Tesla’s profits dropped 37% in its most recent quarter and amid yet-to-be-approved shareholder proposals that could see him get $1 trillion in stock over the next decade.
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I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.
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