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Tesla unveils thruster-equipped Roadster, takes reservations

Tesla lists Performance, Thrust and Rocket variants on its website, with the Rocket version available by invitation only.

Illustration of an electric sports car on a demonstration track
Photo: Euronews

Tesla demonstrated a new Roadster performing aerial maneuvers at a livestreamed unveiling, as the electric vehicle maker takes reservations for three versions. Elon Musk said the car uses thrusters that allow it to fly in a manner similar to a rocket.

During one demonstration, the manually driven vehicle climbed a curved ramp, traveled upside down and launched into the air before flipping and returning to the ground. In another, it jumped over a row of Tesla vehicles while performing a flip. A separate display showed acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in less than one second.

Lars Moravy, Tesla's vice president of vehicle engineering, said an underside fan system can generate up to 2 Gs to enable upside-down driving. He said the vehicle also uses technology borrowed from SpaceX. Musk described rear main thrusters and altitude-control thrusters, while joking that safety was not necessarily the car's priority.

Tesla's website lists Performance, Thrust and Rocket variants for reservation, with the Rocket version restricted to invitations. Tesla says the Roadster offers more than 300 miles of range and lists a top speed exceeding 230 mph for the Rocket version.

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Lucas Almeida

Companies and Deals Editor

Edits and reviews corporate news (earnings, leadership changes, layoffs, product launches) and deal news (IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, buyouts and funding rounds).