Tesla says it will deliver a “Flying Roadster” in 2028, as a viral video debate turns to whether it is real

Tesla has reiterated that its Roadster is planned to become a flying car and that the company expects it to arrive in 2028, according to a Yahoo Finance report published Monday.

The Roadster’s “debut” in the coverage came with demonstrations that, if taken at face value, go beyond a conventional electric sports car. The vehicle was shown using cold-gas thrusters associated with Space Exploration Technologies, and the footage included maneuvers such as barrel rolls in the air as well as hovering.

The same report also described a key component of the demonstration: cold-gas thrusters supplied by SpaceX, a reference that points to an approach closer to spacecraft control than to typical automotive propulsion and steering. In the clip described by Yahoo Finance, the presence of thrusters is part of what makes the showcased flight behavior seem plausible to some viewers, even as it challenges what most Roadster watchers expected.

The controversy, at least in early internet reaction, is centered on whether the aerial performance is genuinely a working “flying” system or instead a staged effect. Yahoo Finance highlighted a reaction from MKBHD, a high-profile technology reviewer, who posted a question that the vehicle shown might be a prank rig, indicating uncertainty rather than confirmation.

While the report frames the discussion around Tesla’s 2028 timeline, it does not provide additional technical documentation or a detailed explanation of how the vehicle transitions from road to flight, what specific control systems manage the maneuvers, or what safety testing has been completed. Those gaps matter because thruster-based flight introduces different engineering, regulatory, and risk considerations than an ordinary automotive product launch.

Tesla’s broader messaging around the Roadster has long leaned on spectacle and engineering ambition. Turning that into a marketed, schedule-bound product in 2028 would require the company to move from demonstrations to repeatable, auditable performance, along with clear disclosures about the vehicle’s flight envelope, failure modes, and the criteria used to declare that it is safe and ready.

As of the publication of the Yahoo Finance report, the company’s public communications referenced the 2028 delivery promise and the use of cold-gas thrusters in the flight demonstrations, but it did not address the specific skepticism raised in the social post spotlighted by Yahoo Finance. Without additional primary-company detail, observers are left to assess the difference between marketing footage and fully verified engineering readiness.

Next, what to watch is whether Tesla provides more direct, technical evidence of the flight system and the vehicle’s planned path from demonstration to customer delivery. That includes any follow-up that clarifies what was actually flown under its own control, what is still simulated, and whether Tesla will publish data or documentation that can be independently evaluated.