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Tesla unveiled this Thursday the new generation of its electric sports car, the Roadster, a vehicle equipped with thrusters developed using SpaceX technology that allow it to lift off the ground and perform aerial maneuvers, in addition to accelerating from 0 to nearly 100 kilometers per hour in less than a second.
The presentation took place at SpaceX's rocket testing facility in McGregor, Texas, where the American manufacturer carried out several demonstrations of the car's capabilities, the development of which has faced nearly nine years of delays.
In one of the tests, the Roadster ascended a curved ramp until it was inverted, launched into the air, performed a flip, and landed in a controlled manner thanks to its thrusters.
"Well, it worked," stated Tesla CEO Elon Musk after the maneuver.
The system, developed in collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX engineers, uses compressed air stored at very high pressure instead of conventional rocket fuel.
Tesla announced three versions of the Roadster: Performance, Thrust, and Rocket.
The first, with two seats, will be able to accelerate from 0 to nearly 100 kilometers per hour in less than 1.6 seconds and will use a suction system under the body to increase grip on the asphalt.
The Thrust version will incorporate rear thrusters that will reduce acceleration to less than 0.9 seconds, while the single-seat Rocket version will be able to take off and maneuver in the air, as well as reach nearly 100 kilometers per hour in less than 0.59 seconds, according to the specifications announced by Tesla.
The company also stated that the sports car will be able to exceed 370 kilometers per hour and offer a range of over 480 kilometers.
Musk stated that the Roadster will be the only Tesla car designed for long-term manual driving, while the company focuses its efforts on autonomous vehicles and robotics.
The businessman acknowledged that the sports car is not necessarily "optimized for safety," which raises questions about its approval for use on public roads.
Tesla plans to start production in 2028, although it has not yet announced the final prices.
The second generation of the Roadster was initially presented in 2017, with the promise of going on sale in 2020 for about 200,000 dollars.
Since then, the project has suffered successive postponements while Tesla prioritized other vehicles, such as the Model Y and the Cybertruck, and subsequently its autonomous driving and humanoid robot programs.
[Publicidad]