Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) shares climbed 4.6% to $379.04 in Friday premarket trading after the electric vehicle maker unveiled its redesigned Roadster and demonstrated brief airborne maneuvers using SpaceX-developed thrusters.
CEO Elon Musk said the long-delayed electric sports car is expected to enter production in 2028.
The advance put Tesla on course to end a four-session losing streak. Shares closed Thursday at $362.44, down 5.3% from their October 9 close of $382.70. Even after the premarket rebound, the stock remained approximately 1% below that earlier level.
Separately, Tesla Tokenized bStocks (TSLAB), a tokenized instrument distinct from Nasdaq-listed shares, was quoted at $377.20, up 4.44% over 24 hours, in a CoinMarketCap price snapshot.
Tesla Demonstrates Roadster’s Airborne Maneuvers With SpaceX Thrusters
During Thursday’s livestreamed unveiling at SpaceX’s McGregor, Texas, testing facility, Tesla demonstrated an unoccupied Roadster prototype driving up a curved ramp and remaining upside down using an underbody suction system.
The vehicle then released itself from the ramp, rotated in midair, and landed on its wheels using built-in cold-gas thrusters. A separate demonstration showed it jumping over a row of parked Tesla vehicles, including a Cybertruck and Semi truck.
The technology combines a fan-based system that Tesla says can generate downward force equivalent to up to twice the vehicle’s weight with thrusters developed alongside SpaceX engineers. The thrusters release compressed air stored in high-pressure tanks rather than burning conventional rocket fuel.
Tesla said the prototype uses 10 thruster nozzles supplied by two tanks with a combined capacity of approximately 600 liters. The company said the vehicle can replenish its compressed-air supply but did not specify how long airborne maneuvers could last or how quickly the tanks could be refilled.
Tesla also demonstrated thruster-assisted acceleration from zero to 60 mph in a reported 0.81 seconds. That figure came from Tesla’s own demonstration and has not been independently verified.
The demonstrations showed the prototype performing brief, controlled airborne maneuvers but did not establish sustained-flight capability or readiness for public-road use.
Tesla Outlines Three Roadster Versions, Reservations and Production Plans
Tesla introduced three configurations with different performance capabilities and intended uses.
The two-seat Performance version features active aerodynamics and a multi-mode suction system, with a claimed 0–60 mph time of under 1.6 seconds.
The limited-release Thrust version adds rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters to the two-seat configuration, targeting the same acceleration benchmark in under 0.9 seconds.
The invitation-only Rocket version adds a full thruster system designed for upward movement and airborne rotation. It seats one occupant and has a claimed zero-to-60 mph time of under 0.59 seconds and a claimed top speed exceeding 230 mph. Tesla says this configuration is not approved for public-road use.
Tesla is accepting reservations for the Performance and Thrust versions, requiring total deposits of $50,000 and $250,000, respectively. Both require an initial $5,000 payment, with the remaining balance due within 10 days.
The company has not announced final purchase prices or confirmed customer delivery dates.
For the redesigned Roadster, Tesla has cited a driving range of more than 300 miles per charge, without clarifying whether the 620-mile range target announced at the vehicle’s original unveiling in 2017 still applies. The latest range and performance specifications remain manufacturer claims rather than independently verified production figures.
The new 2028 production target follows multiple delays since the 2017 unveiling, when Tesla initially expected deliveries to begin in 2020. Musk has previously said the Roadster would not contribute significantly to Tesla’s finances, positioning the project primarily as a demonstration of the company’s engineering capabilities.