'We Are Literally Talking About Hopping': Tesla's 'Flying Car' Can't Really Fly, Smithsonian Expert Says

As Elon Musk presented a Tesla Roadster demonstration at a SpaceX test site in Texas on Thursday, 15 October, a Smithsonian aviation curator questioned whether the vehicle's brief airborne manoeuvres amounted to genuine flight.

'We are literally talking about hopping,' Roger Connor told CNN. The demonstration featured a vehicle that appeared to launch into the air, flip, and land using a propulsion system Musk described. Yet the spectacle did not establish whether the Roadster could sustain controlled flight, travel meaningful distances through the air or function as a practical flying car.

The Roadster is a two-seat electric sports car Tesla developed. Musk said the vehicle would enter production in 2028, although that remains a stated target rather than a confirmed delivery date.

The event raised a wider question for the emerging flying-car industry. Getting a vehicle briefly airborne is different from developing one that can safely transition into forward flight and operate reliably.

According to CNN's report on Tesla's flying-car demonstration, Musk presented the vehicle at the Texas site while acknowledging the risks involved. The report also included assessments from Connor and Alef Aeronautics CEO Jim Dukhovny.

What Happened During Tesla's Texas Demonstration

According to CNN, the Roadster performed several dramatic manoeuvres. Musk described a system that used suction beneath the vehicle to climb a steep ramp and hang upside down. The car then spun away from the ramp, flipped in the air and landed using air jets.

The demonstration also included the vehicle rising above a line of parked Tesla cars. Musk said rear jets could propel it to 60 mph in less than a second. These performance claims should be distinguished from independently verified specifications.

Musk attributed the system's power to 10 nozzles and what he called 'ultra high-pressure air tanks.' He described the project as 'a collaboration with the world's best car company and the world's best rocket company.'

The vehicle performed without anyone inside. Musk told the audience that the demonstration was conducted without a driver 'to make sure we don't kill anyone.'

He also acknowledged uncertainty about the outcome. 'Success is not guaranteed,' he said. 'I mean that. It'll probably work, but if it doesn't work, we're at a safe distance.'

Musk said the audience was there to witness the demonstration directly. 'We need an audience to prove that it's not AI or SI,' he said. 'So you guys can tell people you saw it with your eyes, because what you see with your eyes, you will not believe.'

The remarks highlighted the presentation's unusual nature. However, an audience witnessing a stunt does not independently verify its engineering specifications or establish that the vehicle can perform sustained flight.

The distinction matters because the demonstration showed short airborne manoeuvres rather than a journey between locations. It did not establish whether the vehicle could fly over a meaningful distance, carry a passenger safely in flight or meet the requirements for road and aviation use.

Why a Smithsonian Aviation Expert Remains Sceptical

Connor, curator of the vertical-flight collection at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, questioned whether a road vehicle could also perform effectively as an aircraft. His concerns centred on the competing requirements of vehicle safety, weight and flight performance.

'Aircraft are extremely sensitive to weight, whereas with ground vehicles you want them to have bumpers and crumple zones and all that,' Connor told CNN. 'Inevitably, something that is a hybrid between the two is going to be a poor-performing aircraft and a poor-performing vehicle, and also quite expensive.'

Connor also questioned whether a street-legal car could fly wherever its owner wanted to go. 'We're not talking about sustained flight,' he said. 'We are literally talking about hopping.'

His comments distinguish between a vehicle's ability to leave the ground and its ability to function as a practical aircraft. Sustained flight requires more than a short burst of lift, particularly when a vehicle must transition from vertical movement to forward travel.

Other companies are also pursuing vehicles that combine road transport with aviation. Electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, commonly known as eVTOLs, can take off and land vertically. However, developing an aircraft that can also function as a conventional road car presents additional engineering challenges.

CNN reported that California-based Alef Aeronautics has developed a vehicle that uses eight propellers, with four at the front and four at the rear. The report put its weight at 254 pounds and said it could carry only one person, whose weight must be below that of the vehicle.

Alef CEO Jim Dukhovny told CNN he wouldn't be surprised if Tesla got the Roadster off the ground. However, he identified the transition from vertical lift to forward flight as a significant technical challenge.

'It absolutely is 100% feasible,' Dukhovny said. 'That being said, the hardest part on all eVTOLs, and for us, it's a transition from (rising) vertical to (moving) forward. It needs to be extremely careful, making sure you do not lose lift, and making sure it's very stable.'

The distinction is central to assessing Tesla's demonstration. Brief airborne movements alone do not prove that a vehicle can transition safely into forward flight or maintain it over a useful distance.

Musk's stated 2028 production target also leaves questions about the vehicle's eventual specifications, practical capabilities and readiness for use. The demonstration did not establish whether the Roadster could meet the technical and regulatory requirements for both road travel and aviation.

For now, the Texas presentation offered a striking demonstration of the concept. Whether the Roadster can become a practical flying car, rather than a vehicle capable of brief airborne stunts, remains unproven.