Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) is closing in on a long-teased unveiling event for its next-generation Roadster, and this time the spectacle centers on rocket hardware borrowed from Elon Musk‘s other company.
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Rocket-Car Demo Nears After Delays
The Information reported on Friday that Tesla plans a demonstration as early as this month at a SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX) testing site in McGregor, Texas, showcasing a cold gas thruster system the two companies have jointly developed under the internal code name “A71.”
The thruster package uses pressurized inert gas, the same category of hardware SpaceX relies on for attitude control during Falcon 9 booster landings, rather than combustion.
Roughly ten thrusters are expected to sit where the rear seats would normally go, and Musk has claimed the system could push the Roadster from 0 to 60 mph in about 1.1 seconds while briefly lifting the car off the pavement.
Spectators would need to stand several hundred yards back because of potential hearing damage from the high-pressure gas release, per The Information’s sourcing. The demo vehicle will reportedly be remotely operated, without a driver, and will not be street legal.
Tesla intends to sell a limited-edition SpaceX version equipped with the thruster package alongside a separate “scaled-down” variant of the car, with pricing potentially running into the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
The program has a rocky history. Electrek noted the Roadster demo has missed at least eight internal deadlines, sliding from an original target date to April, then May, then June and now August.
Musk reportedly received a private preview of the A71 system from Tesla and SpaceX engineers in late April, well before the public timeline kept slipping.
Skeptics Doubt ‘Flying’ Claims
Skepticism persists about how literally “flying” should be taken. Electrek previously flagged a Roadster-related patent filing that made no mention of thrusters, rocket, lift, or flight, suggesting the production hardware may diverge from years of hype.
Automotive analysts have also questioned whether a hovering feature would clear basic safety and liability hurdles for a road-legal vehicle.
Regardless of how much the car actually leaves the ground, the event doubles as a marketing showcase for Tesla-SpaceX engineering collaboration at a moment when investors are watching the product pipeline closely. No official date or broadcast plan has been confirmed by Tesla or SpaceX.
TSLA, SPCX Stock Price Activity: Tesla shares were up 0.71% at $342.36 and SpaceX shares were down 3.64% at $136.13 at the time of publication Friday, according to Benzinga Pro.
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