Musk Claims the Tech Could Be Unveiled Within a Couple of Months

Elon Musk is once again promising the impossible…this time, in the form of a Tesla that flies. Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience, Musk said the company is “getting close” to demonstrating a prototype of what he dubbed “crazy, crazy technology.”

The comment came during a discussion about the long-delayed Tesla Roadster: a model first unveiled in 2017 and postponed every year since its planned 2020 debut.

According to Musk, the new car “has a shot at being the most memorable product unveil ever.” Little specifics were revealed, however. Asked whether it would actually fly, Musk only said Rogan would need to wait and see. He added that his inspiration partly came from venture capitalist Peter Thiel’s remark that “the future was supposed to have flying cars.”

Tesla’s record-breaking third-quarter revenue provided some optimism, though profit fell short of expectations due to rising costs and dwindling regulatory credits. The company’s mainstream models, the Model 3 and Model Y, remain strong sellers, but market share is slipping as competition increases.

The so-called “flying” capability appears linked to the long-rumored “SpaceX package” Musk discussed years ago, involving cold-air thrusters for added acceleration and downforce. Tesla has since filed a patent for a fan-based system designed to create vacuum effects under the vehicle, theoretically allowing brief hovering or enhanced cornering.

Still, a true flying car that fits the road-legal vehicle capable of sustained flight definition isn’t likely to emerge from Tesla’s prototype. Even Musk admits the unveiling could be “unforgettable…whether it’s good or bad.”

Whether the car jumps, hovers, or just makes headlines, Musk still has a strong hold in aerospace. SpaceX tops the charts for commercial space travel, recently having been granted additional launch permits for increased operations. The company is also gearing up to take astronauts to the moon for the first time in 50 years using its Starship vehicle.

FMI: www.tesla.com