Elon Musk has renewed talk about Tesla’s plans for a flying car. The Tesla CEO posted three short words on X: “You will get flying cars.”
Musk was replying to a user who said people were promised flying cars but received artificial intelligence instead. It brought the long-delayed Tesla Roadster back into the discussion.
Musk has spoken about flying cars several times over the past decade. His latest comment follows remarks he made during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience in late 2025. During that interview, Musk said Tesla was close to a prototype demonstration. He called the vehicle’s technology “crazy” and said the product reveal could become one of the company’s most memorable events.
Rogan asked if the Roadster would actually fly. Musk did not give a clear answer. Instead, he said people would have to wait for the demonstration. The conversation turned to Peter Thiel, who once complained that the future was supposed to include flying cars. Musk replied, “If Peter wants a flying car, we should be able to buy one.”
The Roadster remains at the center
Tesla first announced the second-generation Roadster in 2017. The electric sports car was expected to enter production several years ago, yet its release has faced repeated delays.
Musk later connected the Roadster with SpaceX technology with a possible SpaceX package with cold-gas thrusters. These thrusters could give the car very fast acceleration and perhaps allow a short hover above the ground.
Tesla has not confirmed the final system. The company has released no verified flight specifications, range figures or production schedule for a flying Roadster. Any claim about a full aircraft mode remains unconfirmed.
Musk has described the vehicle as “crazier than all the James Bond cars combined.” That line has raised expectations, but Tesla still has to prove how the technology would work in a production car.
A short hover or real flight?
The phrase “flying car” can describe several different ideas. It may refer to a Roadster that uses thrusters for a brief lift rather than a car that travels across a city like an aircraft.
A short hover would require less capability than sustained flight. A vehicle that carries passengers over long distances would need a different airframe, flight controls, safety systems and certification process. A Roadster with rocket-assisted lift would be a performance vehicle with limited airborne use. It would not be the same as an electric air taxi built to carry passengers between vertiports.
The company has kept the Roadster in its lineup of planned products for years. Musk’s comments keep attention on the project, but they do not confirm that Tesla has completed a flight-ready prototype.
Musk once warned against flying cars
Musk’s current comments differ from his earlier view. In past interviews, he warned that large numbers of flying cars could create noise and safety risks in cities.
He said airborne vehicles would need strong downward thrust to stay in the air. That airflow could disturb people and objects below. Musk has further warned that a poorly maintained vehicle could drop a part onto someone on the ground.
His preferred answer to traffic has been underground transport. The Boring Company was built around tunnel projects that would move vehicles below city streets. Now Musk is talking about an airborne Tesla again. The change could come from improvements in propulsion, battery systems and vehicle control software. Tesla has yet to explain how those systems would work together in a road car.
Tesla is not the only company working on airborne vehicles. Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation are developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for commercial air taxi service.
Their vehicles are built as aircraft from the start. They use multiple electric motors and rotors, carry a pilot and passengers, and operate from planned landing sites. Joby has a UAE launch plan, and Archer is preparing its Midnight aircraft for service in Abu Dhabi.
Alef Aeronautics is taking a different route. Its vehicle is built to drive on roads and take off vertically. The company received an experimental airworthiness certificate for an earlier version, but that approval does not permit regular passenger service.
Tesla would enter a field that already has aircraft companies and road-going flying-car startups. Yet its Roadster concept appears aimed at a much narrower use than a commercial air taxi.
However, Musk’s post has created a fresh wave of interest in Tesla’s flying-car plans. Still, the company has not confirmed a launch date or released a complete technical plan. And, the Roadster remains the main link between Tesla and flying cars. Until Tesla gives a clear answer, “You will get flying cars” remains a promise.
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