Elon Musk recently made his third appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, where he raised more than a few eyebrows by suggesting future Tesla Roadsters may be able to hover. The Tesla CEO has quite a history of making rather outlandish statements about the capabilities of the technology he’s in charge of. That being said, it’s not every day that a tech mogul hints at the possibility of real flying cars.
The second-generation Tesla Roadster has been delayed, with it scheduled to begin production in 2022 after Musk tweeted that the company needed more time to dial in the vehicle’s Tri-Motor drive system and battery. When it does reach the production line, buyers will finally be able to take advantage of 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds and a range of 600 miles on a single charge. Odds are, however, that this next Roadster won’t be able to hover.
During a recent Joe Rogan Experience podcast episode, Musk teased the “SpaceX package,” which sounds like a Roadster outfitted with rocket technology, as well as the possibility of the Roadster hovering above the ground. When asked by Rogan, Musk confirmed that a potential hovering Roadster would be able to travel while lifted off the ground, and fast too. Musk went on to add the disclaimer that despite being able to travel quickly, a hovering Roadster would be limited in terms of how long it can actually suspend itself in the air.
Tesla’s Hovering Roadster A Long Way Off
For anyone listened to the exchange between Rogan and Musk, it’s clear that this hovering Roadster discussion wasn’t much more than Musk riffing about the possible future of the company’s electric vehicles. Musk carefully padded the conversation with safe ‘ideally’ phrasing, rather than saying that future Roadsters would indeed fly. When speculating out loud about a legitimate hover car, Musk disclosed the reason why Teslas – or other cars, for that matter – won’t be flying anytime soon.
Musk noted that Tesla wanted to devise a way to make the Roadster hover “without killing people.” Adding that if a Roadster could fly in the future, the hypothetical vehicle would need to be limited to about one meter off the ground. That statement, as theoretical as it is, is why Roadsters likely won’t hover in the foreseeable future. Tesla would need to prove that the technology was completely safe for everyday people to operate. Even if the Roadster had a height limit imposed – which Musk said would potentially safeguard against a malfunction by blowing out the suspension – it’s going to take thousands of hours of testing, new safety features, and even new vehicle training to teach people how to properly operate such a car.
Eventually, Tesla could very well end up being the company that finally brings a hovering vehicle to market. However, as far as reality is concerned, that’s in the distant future. Musk essentially admitted as much by asserting greater confidence in Tesla’s ability to add a James-Bond style rocket thruster in the back of the Roadster behind a license plate. For now, Tesla fans may have to settle for that kind of rocket power rather than the kind that lets them fly through the air.
