Elon Musk has people talking after hinting at a Tesla flying car during a recent podcast appearance. The Tesla CEO sat down with Joe Rogan and dropped some eye-catching claims about the company’s delayed Roadster sports car, suggesting it might do more than just drive on roads.
During the interview, Musk said Tesla is nearing the unveiling of a prototype and described it as having “crazy, crazy technology.” He went even further, telling Rogan the car features technology that’s “crazier than if you took all the James Bond cars and combined them.” When Rogan asked about flying cars, Musk mentioned his friend Peter Thiel, a well-known tech investor who once said the future was supposed to include flying cars. The comment seemed to hint that Tesla might be working to change that reality.
Musk initially suggested the demonstration could happen within a couple of months, possibly before the end of 2025. He emphasized the need to make sure the technology works properly before unveiling it. However, those plans changed quickly. At Tesla’s shareholder meeting just days later, Musk announced the demo had been tentatively pushed back to April 1, 2026. He admitted the date choice was strategic, saying it gives him “some deniability” in case of further delays. He told shareholders that the car will be very different from what was previously shown and that the demo will be the most exciting ever, whether it works or not.
The Roadster has a long history of delays. Tesla first showed the car in November 2017, promising it would hit the market in 2020. The base model was initially priced at $200,000, while a special Founders Series version was priced at $250,000. People who wanted the Founders Series had to pay the full amount upfront, essentially giving Tesla a $250,000 interest-free loan. Those who ordered the base model had to put down a $50,000 deposit. The Founders Series quickly sold out, implying that the company generated $250 million from those reservations alone.
Since 2017, the Roadster has been delayed repeatedly. Production dates were initially pushed to 2021, then to 2022, 2023, 2024, and finally to 2025. Now, with the demo tentatively scheduled for April 2026, actual production is likely to start 12 to 18 months later. That means customers might not get their cars until sometime between 2027 and 2028, a full decade after the original announcement. At the shareholder meeting, one person asked if Founders Series customers could attend the reveal event. Musk replied that it was the least we could do for our long-suffering Roadster reservation holders.
Musk has previously discussed adding rocket technology to the Roadster through a SpaceX package. Back in 2018, he mentioned that the car could include cold gas thrusters, which might even allow it to fly. Tesla has also filed patents for systems that could help the car hover briefly, though true sustained flight seems unlikely for a street-legal vehicle. Engineers and analysts have speculated that these systems from SpaceX could allow the car to lift off the ground for short periods, though not maintain actual flight.
The flying car concept isn’t entirely new to the automotive world. Several companies are already working on electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, commonly referred to as eVTOLs. These aircraft resemble large drones more than traditional airplanes and can accommodate several passengers at a time. Companies like Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation are testing prototypes and working toward government approval. Alef Aeronautics has taken it even further, receiving special permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to test its Model A flying car, which can drive on roads and take off vertically. Priced at $300,000, Alef claims it has over 2,850 preorders for the vehicle, calling it the bestselling aircraft in history.
Musk previously dismissed flying cars due to safety and noise concerns, but his recent comments suggest he’s changed his mind. During the podcast, he even questioned whether the new Roadster would qualify as a car at all, telling Rogan that the vehicle looks like a car but might be something entirely different. He offered to let Rogan see the prototype before the official unveiling.
The announcement comes at an interesting time for Tesla. The company recently reported strong revenue from vehicle sales, although profits fell short of expectations due to factors such as tariff costs and declining income from regulatory credits. Additionally, proposed federal budget cuts could eliminate tax credits that have helped drive the sales of electric vehicles. Whether Tesla can deliver on Musk’s bold promises remains to be seen, especially given the company’s track record of missing deadlines on major projects. For now, those who paid deposits nearly eight years ago will have to wait at least another year and a half just to see what their money helped create.