Tesla's flying Roadster is not road legal.
Tesla has shown a Roadster that flies on SpaceX thrusters, with a £50,000 deposit for one version. Its own website says the flying model is not approved for public roads, and Britain has no clear rules for it yet.
Tesla's flying Roadster is not road legal
Elon Musk has revealed the Tesla Roadster 2, which he claims will be the world's first flying car, using technology from his rocket company SpaceX.1 The demonstration took place at the SpaceX rocket development and testing facility in Texas.1 Musk said the car could go from 0 to 60mph in less than a second and that it could "basically fly like a rocket".1
A video of the event shows the Roadster driving up a curved ramp, gripping upside down by suction, then using thrusters to flip, fly and land.1 It later used its jets to leap over a line of Tesla's existing models.1 Musk said the car was controlled remotely "to make sure we don't kill anyone", and called the prototype "not necessarily a safety optimised car".1
The Roadster 2 is due to go into production in 2028, priced at more than $200,000, about £150,000.1 After the event, Tesla's reservation website asked a £50,000 deposit for a "performance" version and a $250,000 deposit for a "thrust" version.1 A one-seater "rocket" variant with a "full flight system" is available by invitation only.1 It is not clear how much the flying version will actually cost.2
The awkward part is the road. Tesla's own product page says the flying model is "not approved for public road use".2 Asked at the launch whether the car would be street legal, Musk said it depends on your street.2 He also said: "I'm not sure it's necessarily legal in all jurisdictions, but there will be such a car that someone can own."2 Tesla's event dwelt on the car's speed in closed settings, claiming it will "crush every track record that has ever existed".2
Tesla has struggled to sell its bolder vehicles before: the Cybertruck has been on sale since 2023 but cannot be bought in most countries because of safety concerns.2 Flying vehicles are usually regulated by aviation authorities, the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK, and there is no clear regime yet for a flying car of this kind.2 A CAA spokesperson said the maker of any flying vehicle must "demonstrate that it meets the relevant safety, equipment and operational standards expected of aircraft that are operated privately", and that the person flying it must be suitably qualified for the airspace.2
A track toy, not a company car
Strip out the thrusters and this is a sports car due in 2028 with a five figure deposit, shown off on private ground in Texas. The flying part is invitation only, not approved for the road, and in Britain it would meet an aviation regulator with no settled rules for it. Nobody should be pencilling one into a fleet plan.
The more useful point for a British business is what the CAA said: anything that leaves the ground here is treated as an aircraft, and its pilot needs the right qualifications. That is the same test drones and air taxis face. A demonstration in Texas does not change it, and the claim of a world first is the maker's own.
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Tesla’s new flying ‘Roadster’ car can’t actually drive on roads
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‘We should all be worried’: calls grow to limit London rollout of robotaxis
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