Are videos of Tesla's new 'flying' car performing mid-air stunts real?

Claim: Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla posted videos on Oct. 15 authentically showing the company's new "flying" car performing mid-air stunts. Rating: ContextTesla posted the videos to showcase the official launch of the company's new Roadster model. The footage shows the car performing several mid-air stunts in front of a live audience. Attendees also posted their own videos from the event, corroborating Tesla's footage. Whether the vehicle actually "flew" during the demonstration is up to individual interpretation. It is unclear whether Tesla's final product would have the same capabilities as the "flying" car seen in the clips. On Oct. 15, electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla and social media users posted videos purportedly showing the company's new "flying" car performing a number of mid-air stunts. The footage depicts a launch event for the automaker's long-awaited Roadster model. It shows a prototype driving up an upside-down ramp before flipping off and landing on its wheels, flipping over a row of other Tesla products and accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 0.81 seconds. Throughout the video, Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, and his fellow hosts made references to the vehicle being a "flying car." Snopes readers searched our site to find out more about the vehicle. In short, there is nothing to suggest the video is fake, meaning it was not created using artificial intelligence tools or the product of digital editing. Tesla livestreamed the footage on YouTube on Oct. 15. The event showcased the company's new Roadster model and was conducted in front of a live audience. Some of those attendees posted their own clips on social media, corroborating Tesla's footage. Therefore, we rate this claim true. Audience members posted their own videos (archived, archived), among other content, and reputable car magazine Top Gear also said its staff attended the event and saw the demos. Reputable news media outlets also covered the event. Though the clips excited autophiles and technology experts worldwide, some people cast doubt over Tesla's claim that the new Roadster is a true "flying" car (archived, archived). There is nothing to suggest the demonstrations of the Roadster's abilities were fake. The event took place in front of a live audience, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk saying, "We need an audience to prove that it's not AI or SI." SI refers to Super Intelligence, U.S. President Donald Trump's new name for artificial intelligence. But whether the Roadster is a true flying car is open to interpretation. The demonstrations showed the prototype dropping or launching off a surface and controlling its fall over shorter distances. Musk said the car could "fly like a rocket" but did not demonstrate sustained flight over a longer distance during the event. Given the car is not in production as of this writing, it is unclear whether the final consumer product, if or when it reaches the market, would have the same capabilities as the car in the videos. The prototype did not have a human driver. 2nd Roadster nearly 10 years in the making Tesla first announced its second-generation Roadster during an event in November 2017. The next year, Musk teased on X (archived), then Twitter, that the new Roadster could come with a "SpaceX option package" consisting of roughly "10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around car." "These rocket engines dramatically improve acceleration, top speed, braking & cornering," Musk wrote, "Maybe they will even allow a Tesla to fly." SpaceX option package for new Tesla Roadster will include ~10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around car. These rocket engines dramatically improve acceleration, top speed, braking & cornering. Maybe they will even allow a Tesla to fly … — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 9, 2018 However, Musk soon became busy with other acquisitions, such as Twitter, and progress stalled on the Roadster. Nearly nine years after it was announced, Musk said that, in 2028, Tesla would "enter production" of a new Roadster that would use a suction system on the bottom of the car to allow it to drive upside down and would feature SpaceX rockets to allow it to "fly like a rocket." According to Tesla's website, the automaker would sell two versions of the Roadster. The "Thrust" would feature "a multi-mode suction system paired with cold-gas thrusters" that allow the car to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in under one second. The "Rocket," which members of the public would be able to buy via invitation only, would be the flying version of the car, fitted with cold-gas thrusters that "support forward and upward acceleration as well as lateral rotational movement." Tesla says of the "Rocket" version, "So yes, it can fly." The company notes on its website that the "Rocket" is "not approved for public road use." It is unclear at the time of publication how a flying car would be regulated and what sort of licenses a driver or pilot might need to hold to operate it. According to technology website The Verge and business news outlet CNBC, some early adopters placed $50,000 deposits on the Roadster in 2017. OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman reportedly had his $45,000 deposit refunded in 2025 after he wrote (archived) on X, "I really was excited for the car! And I understand delays. But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait." For further reading, Snopes routinely investigates claims related to Musk and Tesla. Sources Kolodny, Lora. 'Tesla Unveils Long-Delayed Roadster Developed with SpaceX, Fueling Merger Speculation'. CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026, https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/15/tesla-roadster-reveal-what-to-know-about-the-delayed-ev.html.Krisher, Tom, and MATT O'BRIEN. 'Elon Musk to Buy Twitter for $44B and Take It Private'. The Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-twitter-takeover-2d0eb4e0511fe0e296fd6974a851a252.Orders, Executive. 'Inaugurating The Era Of Super Intelligence'. The White House, 29 Sept. 2026, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/inaugurating-the-era-of-super-intelligence/.'Roadster'. Tesla, https://www.tesla.com/en_gb/roadster.Tesla. 'Roadster Event'. YouTube, 15 Oct. 2026, https://www.youtube.com/live/qt5p-_tE8d0?t=390s.'Tesla's New Roadster Car Can Thrust Itself in the Air. But Don't Expect to Drive It Anytime Soon'. AP News, 16 Oct. 2026, https://apnews.com/article/tesla-musk-roadster-rocket-7d5f19665435b7408025bfb7a2f2f0b7.Tesla's New Second-Generation Roadster Will Be the Quickest Production Car Ever Made | The Verge. 16 Oct. 2026, https://web.archive.org/web/20261016013806/https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/17/16669024/tesla-roadster-2017-fastest-car-world.The Tesla Roadster Flew, Drove Upside down, and Hit 60mph in under a Second | The Verge. 16 Oct. 2026, https://web.archive.org/web/20261016112838/https://www.theverge.com/transportation/1012552/tesla-roadster-next-gen-reveal-elon-musk#:~:text=Early%20adopters%20quickly,under%20one%20second.'Watch: Did Tesla Really Just Unveil a Flying Car?' BBC News, 16 Oct. 2026, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/ckly4mj1g3n9o.'Wow: The New Tesla Roadster Can Actually Fly'. Top Gear, 16 Oct. 2026, https://www.topgear.com/car-news/first-look/wow-new-tesla-roadster-can-actually-fly.